Free Republic

Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad gave a wide-ranging interview at his home, "The People's Palace" in Damascus, to Ghassan bin Jiddou of Al-Jazeera. The date of the interview was not disclosed, but it took place prior to the April 27, 2004 reported terror attack in Damascus. The interview covered numerous topics, including inter-Arab relations, Iraq, terrorism, Syrian-U.S. and Syrian-European relations, the Syrian influence in Lebanon, and Israel and the Palestinians. The following are extensive excerpts from the interview: [1] Developments in Iraq "The Americans will sink into a quagmire. All the occupation forces, not only the Americans. The Iraqis will pay...

World antiwar rallies delight Iraq Largest gatherings reported in London, Rome Sunday, February 16, 2003 Posted: 9:15 AM EST (1415 GMT) SPECIAL REPORT BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraq was gloating Sunday over the global outpouring of opposition to a possible U.S.-led war against the country, saying the rallies by millions of people signaled an Iraqi victory and "the defeat and isolation of America." In cities from Tokyo to Baghdad, Istanbul to Paris and New York to Wellington, the demonstrators Saturday called for peace a day after U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell told the U.N. Security Council that Iraq was...