UMMA <http://www.tlaxcala-int.org/rubrique.asp?reference=6> / *Syria: ‘Assad is part of the problem’*-An interview with Samir Aita Date of publication at Tlaxcala: 19/08/2011 Original: Syrien: »Assad ist Teil des Problems«-Ein Gespräch mit Samir Aita<http://www.tlaxcala-int.org/article.asp?reference=5506>
*The President’s Neoliberal policies of led to uprising in Syria. Army will stand on side of the people. Opposition rejects sanctions imposed by the EU, U.S. and UN. * Syria: ‘Assad is part of the problem’-An interview with Samir Aita <http://www.tlaxcala-int.org/biographie.asp?ref_aut=1369&lg_pp=en> Karin Leukefeld کارین لویکفلد<http://www.tlaxcala-int.org/biographie.asp?ref_aut=1369&lg_pp=en> Translated by * John Catalinotto<http://www.tlaxcala-int.org/biographie.asp?ref_aut=64&lg_pp=en> * *For ten years you have advised the Syrian regime regarding its reform program. Today you see yourself as an adviser to the Syrian patriotic uprising. Are they integrated in the Syrian opposition movement?* * * Samir Aita is editor in chief of *Le Monde Diplomatique*, Arabic edition. He comes from Damascus and lives in Paris I think the term "opposition" is not a good word, at least from my perspective. The question is, do you support this latest social rebellion, or don’t you? There are people who are for the uprising; there are people who are afraid. And there are people who are still supporting the regime, because they profit from it. And there are differing opinions even among those who are responsible for the uprising. Some have Islamic leanings, others follow a foreign agenda. But at its core, Syrian society is patriotic. I see myself on the side of the patriots who want to give some perspective to this uprising. *The uprising has been going on for five months; where is the movement at today?* First of all, everyone was surprised about what has happened. It began with an event in Deraa, which would have been really easy to resolve and could well have been used to join the "Arab spring." But it turned into a confrontation between the people and the power apparatus. If there had been free elections in Syria in February, President Bashar Al-Assad would have received perhaps 70 percent of the vote. If elections were held today, he would get perhaps 10 percent of the vote, which is a huge change. The dynamics of the events was determined on the one hand by the Syrian population, especially the youth. On the other hand, the Syrian regime itself has contributed to it. There's this joke that not only do the people want to overthrow the regime, the regime also wants its own downfall. It has committed all the errors and follies that were possible. Today we are at a turning point. The regime, that is, the power structure, has held the entire society, the whole country hostage in order to prove itself, and that is unacceptable. But it is also a dangerous development, because it has spawned hatred among the people. And to be honest, part of the responsibility lies also with parts of the so-called opposition. Some say they are for the uprising, but they pursue sectarian goals, and so I will have nothing to do with them. *Do the sanctions the EU, U.S. and the UN Security Council propose make sense?* * *Some foreign governments, including the U.S., talk about sanctions, but I ask them: didn’t you learn anything from the Iraq experience? Thirteen years of sanctions -- and what was the outcome? Was the regime overthrown? No, Iraqi society was destroyed. That is a false path. The Syrians want no foreign interference, nor do they want any interference by the UN Security Council, because they know, even if a text puts it very mildly, these States will interpret it as they did in Libya. No one dares destroy the character of this revolt. The people are very brave, and they are willing to pay a high price for their freedom. This freedom is theirs, that’s what we must defend. *Assad must resign* - Syrians living in Turkey protested last Friday in Istanbul against the Syrian leadership. Photo: Reuters *Many people wonder whether President Assad is truly a reformer or whether he would greatly prefer a military solution. Since he ruled the country, did he decide on the process?* I do not know what is happening within the family, in the inner circle, but it is certain that his policies over the past 11 years have been terrible. They led to the uprising because they were neo-liberal policies. During my time as adviser to the Syrian government, I once told the former Minister of Labor that the government is carrying out even worse neo-liberal policies than U.S. President George W. Bush. The Minister was from the Ba’ath Party and carried out what the President ordered. Their socialist convictions, assuming the party has them, played no role. I think Assad is fully responsible for what happens. He is not part of the solution; he is part of the problem. He is not only responsible for the crimes and the killing; he also bears the responsibility for the fact that Syria has become a weak country and that all the neighbors now are toying around with it. No one can run Syria in that manner. *The Army is held in high repute in spite of how it has been used in Syria...* What’s important is that it remains united. We are waiting, however, for the moment in which the army says, "No," and rises up on the side of the people. *Now the army is being attacked. By whom? Are there groups that are using the uprising for a different goal? Are there armed groups fighting against the army?* There are several tendencies in the uprising. There are areas -- not in Hauran, where it all began -- where there are people who agitate along religious lines. And there are historical problems in Hama and Jisr Al-Shugur. There is hatred there, and if they feel pressured, the people there resort to arms. In order to speak truthfully, I have to admit that yes, there are armed groups. But there are only a few of them and they are isolated. Of course there are other elements that want to engage Syria in sectarian fighting. For example, the March 14th Movement in Lebanon. There is evidence that people from that group have smuggled weapons into Syria. Also in the area around the valley Kalach people have taken up arms. There, near the Turkish border, there are some people who have brought weapons into Syria from Turkey, and also near the Iraqi-Syrian border, there are weapons. None of this can justify a crackdown against the people on the streets. Ninety-nine percent of the people who are participating in the uprising are courageous, nonviolent and still have a sense of humor. But the more the situation deteriorates, the more tensions rise. Without a resolution, the whole thing will turn into chaos. Still, Syrian society is strong and will not allow that. But if the Europeans and the U.S. tighten their sanctions, the people will be plunged into poverty. If the situation deteriorates further, it could eventually get completely out of control. *U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has promised the uprising in Syria help and support. Are you pleased with this?* We know what the U.S. wants in the region: its dominance. On the contrary, we want normal state to state relations. Outside of this, they should leave us alone. But if they want to toy with us, they will get a nasty surprise. We are a complex country, we are a strong society. No society in the world would have survived that which Syrian society has endured over the past ten years. We have taken in 1.5 million Iraqis in two years. On the same scale as Germany that would be six million people; German society would not have done that. We did it. Without international and government aid. Syria has a law stating that every Arab who comes into the country must have free access to school and to health care. We kept true to this. In the midst of its revolution, Tunisia has taken 450,000 refugees from Libya; they had no functioning government institutions and have helped these people without a word of complaint. But when 10,000 refugees wanted to go from Italy to France, there was an outcry among the 450 million Europeans, and they were considering changing the Schengen agreement [for travel between European states--TR]. On the two sides of the Mediterranean there are very different conceptions of humanitarianism. *There was an opposition meeting in Doha (Qatar) in late July. Were there results? What happens next?* The Arab Spring should not end where the despotic kingdoms [on the Gulf - editor] make a coalition with the Western powers and determine the changes for the countries in transition. And in the transition phase, the states are weak. The good thing about the meeting in Doha was that the first time since the start of the uprising people from the country could themselves meet. I think the Doha meeting was better than the meeting in Antalya or Istanbul. The Doha meeting has drawn up clear guidelines on how a republican social contract can be implemented, a good result with which we will continue to work on. *Were similar changes discussed by Syrians at last weekend’s meeting in Berlin?* No, in Berlin, it was more a matter of having the Patriotic Coordination present. We have to meet, to exchange views and to discuss. We need to make suggestions and hear the views of all. That way we can give hope to the people. ------------------------------ Courtesy of Tlaxcala <http://www.tlaxcala-int.org/> Source: http://www.jungewelt.de/2011/08-17/056.php Publication date of original article: 17/08/2011 URL of this page: http://www.tlaxcala-int.org/article.asp?reference=5508 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: <mailto:laamn-unsubscr...@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe: <mailto:laamn-subscr...@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Digest: <mailto:laamn-dig...@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Help: <mailto:laamn-ow...@egroups.com?subject=laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post: <mailto:la...@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive1: <http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive2: <http://www.mail-archive.com/laamn@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yahoo! 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