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IN DENIAL: Barbara Walters' Interview with Syria's President Bashar al-Assad
07-Dec-2011
In Interview with ABC’s Barbara Walters, Syria's President Bashar al-Assad say’s 'There Was No Command to Kill'. (For More on this Story including Walter’s Views on Interview Go to ABC’s Here)
Barbara Walters discusses brutal crackdown of protests with Syria's président :
(NOTE : TO WATCH DOUBLE CLICK HERE)
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THE ASSAD ENIGMA :
From Respectable Surgeon to ‘bloodthirsty’ dictator
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Barbara from "The View" program went to Syria ( few years ago):
Asma Elassad Syria's first lady on Gaza by CNN (Jan 14, 2009):
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NO REMORSE , NO GUILT
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Syria's Bashar al-Assad 'feels no guilt' over crackdown (bbc)
Syria's president has said that he feels no guilt about his crackdown on a 10-month uprising, despite reports of brutality by security forces.
In an interview with the US network ABC, Bashar al-Assad said he had given no orders for violence to be used against protesters but admitted "mistakes"were made.
He said he did not own the security forces or the country.
At least 4,000 people have been killed since the uprising began, the UN says.
However, Mr Assad said the UN was not credible.
Syria blames the violence on "armed criminal gangs".
The US later rejected President Assad's assertions that he did not order the killing of protesters.
"It is just not credible," White House spokesman Jay Carney said.
"The United States and many, many other nations around the world who have come together to condemn the atrocious violence in Syria perpetrated by the Assad regime know exactly what's happening and who is responsible."
Mr Assad's interview comes a day after the US announced that its ambassador in Syria, Robert Ford, would return to Damascus after he was withdrawn in October because of security concerns.
France's ambassador returned on Monday.
'Big difference'
Responding to questions from veteran presenter Barbara Walters about the brutality of the crackdown, Mr Assad said he did not feel any guilt.
"I did my best to protect the people, so I cannot feel guilty," he said. "You feel sorry for the lives that has [sic] been lost. But you don't feel guilty - when you don't kill people."
"We don't kill our people… no government in the world kills its people, unless it's led by a crazy person," he added.
The security forces were not his, nor did he command them, the Syrian president said.
"There was no command, to kill or to be brutal," he said.
"I don't own them, I am president, I don't own the country so they are not my forces."
Instead he blamed the violence on criminals, religious extremists and terrorists sympathetic to al-Qaeda, who he said were mingling with peaceful protesters.
He said most ofthose killed were from government supporters, with 1,100 soldiers and police among the dead.
Those members of the security forces who had exceeded their powers had been punished, he said.
"Every 'brute reaction' was by an individual, not by an institution, that's what you have to know," he said.
"There is a difference between having a policy to crack down and between having some mistakes committed by some officials. There is a big difference."
When challenged about reports of house-to-house arrests, including of children, Mr Assad said the sources could not be relied upon.
"We have to be here to see. We don't see this. So we cannot depend on what you hear,"he said.
The United Nations, which has said the Syrian government committed crimes against humanity, was not credible, Mr Assad said.
He described Syria's membership of the UN as "a game we play".
Asked if he feared sharing the fate of the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi or ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Mr Assad said the only thing he was afraid of was losing the support of his own people.
Recommended Reading:
Bashar al-Assad: Syria's unintended president (CNN, Wire Staff)
U.N.puts death toll at 4,000 in Syria as pressures rise by Mohamed Fadel Fahmy, (CNN)
Related Blogs on Syria and ME Crisis:
Jordan's King Abdullah Calls On Syria's President Assad to Step Down
Jordan's King Warns: 'No one has any idea what to do about Syria'
Jordan King in talks with Mahmoud Abbas on Palestinian statehood bid
STUBBORN WALLS: Ben Gurion, Hussein, Nasser interviews on ME Peace Process
Related Blogs on ‘Barbara Walter’s Interviews’ :
Barbara Walters On Interviewing Muammar Gaddafi in 1989
pictory: Shah Interview with Barbara Walters and US Networks (1974-77)
A QUEEN's LOYALTY: Barbara Walters Shares Shahbanou Farah's concerns for President Mobarak's Family
WOMEN KNOW YOUR LIMITS: The Shah's Post Mortem Apologies to Barbara Walters and Oriana Fallaci
PRINCE OF PERSIA: Barbara Walters Interview with Crown Prince Reza (2002)
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Syria: Red Crescent bid to evacuate Homs journalists fails
by Darius Kadivar on Mon Feb 27, 2012 03:16 PM PSTHoms rescue bid ends in failure (bbc)
A fresh attempt to evacuate two wounded journalists from Homs ended in failure, the Red Cross says, as Syrian forces launch a new offensive against opposition-held towns.French far right Le Pen rallies in defence of Syria's Assad
by Darius Kadivar on Mon Feb 27, 2012 03:11 PM PSTFormer far-right head Jean-Marie Le Pen has defended Syria’s Bashar al-Assad on French radio, claiming Allied forces during World War II had far more blood on their hands. Has he put his foot in it for daughter and presidential hopeful Marine Le Pen?
Syria promises referendum results as EU imposes new sanctions
by Darius Kadivar on Mon Feb 27, 2012 07:21 AM PSTSyria promises referendum results as EU imposes new sanctions (cnn)
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Plight of Syria's traumatized children sheltered in Jordan
by Darius Kadivar on Mon Feb 27, 2012 07:17 AM PSTPlight of Syria's traumatized children (CNN, VIDEO)
CNN's Ben Wedeman reports Jordan is feeling the pressure to accommodate on the influx of Syrian refugees.
China condemns US Syria critique
by Darius Kadivar on Mon Feb 27, 2012 02:39 AM PSTChina condemns US Syria critique (bbc)
China has hit out at comments by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on its stance on Syria.
A foreign ministry spokesman called the comments unacceptable, and the official Communist Party newspaper described the criticism as "super arrogant".
Mrs Clinton on Friday called China and Russia's veto of a UN resolution on Syria "despicable".
The Chinese criticism came a day after Syria held a national referendum on a new constitution, amid violent unrest.
The referendum calls for a multi-party parliamentary election within three months. The opposition has dismissed Sunday's vote as a farce, as at least 30 more deaths were reported around the country.
Syrian army shells northern towns
by Darius Kadivar on Mon Feb 27, 2012 02:34 AM PSTA Syrian military offensive is continuing in the north of the country, as counting gets under way following a referendum on a new constitution.
Syrian army shells northern towns (bbc)
Violence rages amid voting in Syria
by Darius Kadivar on Sun Feb 26, 2012 08:44 AM PSTViolence rages amid voting in Syria (cnn)
STORY HIGHLIGHTSFreelance cameraman provides a rare glimpse into Homs
by Darius Kadivar on Sun Feb 26, 2012 08:42 AM PSTFilmmaker gives rare glimpse of Homs (CNN, VIDEO)
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Clinton: Syria risking long lasting civil war
by Darius Kadivar on Sun Feb 26, 2012 08:39 AM PSTClinton: Syria risking civil war (BBC, VIDEO)
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said she is worried that the violence in Syria will turn into a long conflict.
Speaking to the BBC's Kim Ghattas, she said she feared that outside intervention would only accelerate the threat of civil war.
Syria's State TV shows polling over new Constitution
by Darius Kadivar on Sun Feb 26, 2012 04:19 AM PSTState TV shows polling (BBC, VIDEO)
The Syrian government is holding a national referendum on a new constitution amid continuing violent unrest and a boycott by the opposition.
The new constitution calls for a multi-party parliamentary election within three months.
The opposition has dismissed Sunday's vote as a farce and demands President Bashar al-Assad stand down.
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Wife of UK photographer Paul Conroy seeks Syria action
by Darius Kadivar on Sun Feb 26, 2012 04:16 AM PSTThe wife of a British photographer trapped and injured in Syria after an attack that killed two other reporters calls for officials to "forget the protocol" and get him out.
Get him out, urges Briton's wife (bbc)
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Rosemarie Colvin said aid workers, who have been trying for days to remove her daughter's body from the war-ravaged country, tried again Saturday but ultimately determined that the situation was too dangerous.
"We were told yesterday that today was probably the last day," the elder Colvin said.
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Delusional or Delirium ?: Syria holds vote on constitution
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Syria holds vote on constitution (bbc)
"Hamas Officially breaks with Damascus"- Dumb move
by Simorgh5555 on Sat Feb 25, 2012 02:58 AM PSTDumb Palestinian leadership. The best Hanifa could have done is to shut his mouth and make some conciliatory gesture to both sides to stop fighting. By taking sides again the ordinary Palestinians will pay the price for their stupid leadership.
Doesn't this just confirm that throughout their struggle for liberation the Palestinian leadership, whether in the guise of Arafat's Fatah or Hamas has acted like a whore soliciting the patronage of anyone sympathetic to its cause. Once their patrons have outlasted their utility they dump them like a used Kleenex. First they are in bed with Sadaat, then they in bed with Khomeini, then they are in bed with Gaddafi, then then they are in bed with Saddam, then they are in bed with King Hussein of Jordan, then they are in bed with Asad, then they are in bed with the Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon, then they are in bed with Rabin of Israel and Clinton of the USA, then they are in bed with Erdogen.
Each and every one of these leaders have dumped the Palestinians because of their shifting allegiances.
That is the reason the Palestinians get kicked out everywhere from Libya, Kuwait, Jordan and Lebanon. The poor Palestinians are the victims of corrupt and short visioned leadership. That is why they do not have a State of their own. That is why they end up in the quagmire that they are in having been abandoned for their treachery by every nation who it tried to gain support.
Turning Point ? Hamas Officially breaks with Damascus
by Darius Kadivar on Sat Feb 25, 2012 02:35 AM PSTHamas declares support for protesters (CNN)
Jerusalem (CNN) -- In a change in policy, the leaders of the Syrian-backed Islamic militant group Hamas declared their support Friday for anti-government protesters in Syria.
Speaking at Cairo's al-Azhar Mosque, Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, told worshipers, "I salute the Syrian people who strive toward freedom, democracy and reform."
The message was echoed in Hamas-controlled Gaza.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
'David vs. Goliath' scenario in Syria?
by Darius Kadivar on Sat Feb 25, 2012 02:30 AM PST'David vs. Goliath' scenario in Syria? (CNN, VIDEO)
CNN's Zain Verjee reports Syria's dissidents are far outnumbered and outgunned by Bashar al-Assad's army.
Robert Baer about options for protecting civilians in Syria.
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Anderson Cooper talks with Anne-Marie Slaughter and Bob Baer about options for protecting civilians in Syria.
Syrian forces pound opposition centers
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The reports of renewed violence followed news Friday that dozens of countries agreed to increase pressure on al-Assad while laying groundwork for a political transition in Syria not unlike the international planning that preceded the fall of Libyan ruler Moammar Gadhafi last year.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Is a widely reported 'pro-Assad' poll what it seems?
by Darius Kadivar on Sat Feb 25, 2012 02:06 AM PSTAn opinion poll was widely reported last month as evidence that 55% of Syrians think President Bashar al-Assad should not resign. But does the claim stand up to scrutiny?
The world is watching Syria, where every day there are new scenes of horror as the violence between protesters and the regime's security forces continues.
Against this backdrop, some commentators have picked up striking statistic - that 55% of Syrians want President Assad to stay in power.
In a column in the UK's Guardian newspaper, the statistic was used to suggest that the Western media was mis-reporting the situation in Syria, suppressing "inconvenient facts" for the purposes of propaganda.
The statistic has been reported widely elsewhere, from the New York Times, to Al Jazeera (in Arabic)Iranian owned Press TV, and Syrian news sites.
So what was this poll and who carried it out?
Statistically speaking (bbc)
Urgency and frustration in Tunis over Syria Talks
by Darius Kadivar on Sat Feb 25, 2012 02:04 AM PSTUrgency and frustration in Tunis (bbc)
Urgency but also frustration marked this inaugural gathering of the Friends of Syria grouping.
Urgency because of the worsening situation on the ground - but frustration because even the participants knew than none of the measures discussed at the Tunis meeting are likely to bring about the fall of the regime of Bashar al-Assad anytime soon.
Rumour has it that the Saudi Foreign Minister, Prince Saud al-Faisal, walked out early in frustration at the limited ambitions for this meeting. Or did he, as his officials say, have to go to a bilateral meeting?
It is clear the Saudis do feel unhappy with the pace of developments and the kind of consensus-driven diplomacy that dominates these kinds of events.
In a meeting with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Prince Saud al-Faisal was asked if he thought arming the Syrian opposition was a good idea.
"I think it's an excellent idea," he replied, suggesting that direction in which his country's stance may be heading.
I asked one prominent Western minister if he thought that certain Gulf countries might already be funding or delivering arms supplies to the Syrian opposition.
His answer was non-committal - accompanied by a smile and a wink - suggesting perhaps that this assertion was not too far from the truth.
Clinton in Tunisia: Assad regime 'has blood on its hands'
by Darius Kadivar on Fri Feb 24, 2012 01:15 PM PSTThe US secretary of state has called on the Assad regime to allow life-saving aid to reach people in need, or "it will have even more blood on its hands".
Hillary Clinton said that nations that continued to protect and arm the regime would also be culpable. At a news briefing following a summit with world leaders, she welcomed new measures against the regime such as travel bans and the boycotting of Syrian oil.BBC's Ian Pannell witnesses north Syria rebel campaign
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Fight for freedom (BBC, VIDEO)
UK is to officially recognise the Syrian National Council
by Darius Kadivar on Fri Feb 24, 2012 11:10 AM PSTUK to boost Syria opposition ties (bbc)
The UK is to officially recognise the Syrian National Council as a "legitimate representative" of the country, William Hague has announced.
The foreign secretary said the UK was to "intensify" links with the council - Syria's largest opposition group.
He spoke just before he met opposition leaders at the international Friends of Syria conference in Tunisa.
His comments came as the council suggested rebel fighters could be supported with weapons.
The Syrian National Council said countries should be allowed to supply it with arms if Damascus refused to bow to outside pressure.
Syria unrest: Red Cross begins Homs evacuation of women & kids
by Darius Kadivar on Fri Feb 24, 2012 11:06 AM PSTRed Cross staff in besieged Homs (bbc)
The Red Cross has begun moving women and children from part of the besieged Syrian city of Homs, officials say.
The International Committee of the Red Cross and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent earlier reached the suburb of Baba Amr, which has been under heavy attack.
Injured journalists are among those awaiting rescue in Babr Amr, but the Red Cross says it wants to evacuate all those in need.
The news comes as a major conference in Tunisia is pushing for aid access.
Delegates from 70 countries have gathered to ratchet up the pressure on President Bashar al-Assad, demanding a ceasefire and humanitarian help for the worst-affected areas.
William Hague in Tunisia condemns 'criminal' Assad regime
by Darius Kadivar on Fri Feb 24, 2012 07:45 AM PST'Criminal' regime condemned (BBC, VIDEO)
A major conference is being held in Tunisia to seek a breakthrough in the increasingly bitter Syrian unrest.
The US, Europe and Arab countries plan to challenge President Bashar al-Assad to provide humanitarian access within days to the worst-affected areas.
But Russia and China, key allies of Syria which have blocked UN resolutions against Damascus, are not attending the "Friends of Syria" conference.
The British Foreign Secretary William Hague, stressed the importance of the talks to "intensify the diplomatic and economic pressure on the Assad regime".
Main Syria opposition seeks arms help
by Darius Kadivar on Fri Feb 24, 2012 07:41 AM PSTSyria opposition seeks arms help (bbc)
The main Syrian opposition group asks permission for arms to be supplied to rebels, as Tunisia hosts a major conference to seek a breakthrough.
Syria: Civilian 'ordered to shoot protesters'
by Darius Kadivar on Fri Feb 24, 2012 04:37 AM PSTSyria: Civilian 'ordered to shoot protesters' (BBC, VIDEO)
There's mounting pressure on the Syrian government, and opposition forces, to call a ceasefire and allow humanitarian aid to enter the besieged towns of Homs, Daraa and Idlib.
As government forces continue their bombardment of opposition held towns, thousands of Syrians have fled the fighting into neighbouring countries including Jordan.
The BBC's Wyre Davies reports from the border.
Anderson Cooper: Uncovering Syria's bloody lies
by Darius Kadivar on Fri Feb 24, 2012 12:45 AM PSTUncovering Syria's bloody lies
(CNN, Video)
CNN's Anderson Cooper has the latest on the bloodshed in Syria and government efforts to cover it all up.
Arab nations 'arming' Syria opposition
by Darius Kadivar on Fri Feb 24, 2012 12:42 AM PSTArab nations 'arming' Syria opposition (cnn)
STORY HIGHLIGHTS