CITVC Midterm Interview

Interview with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad

Z: Thank you for coming to this interview Mr. Assad. Coming over here to the United States to help me conduct this interview with you must have been a troubling hassle.

B: No trouble at all, its a pleasure coming here to conduct this interview with you. I always like spreading my ideas and opinions since many people just like to infer many things on their own without my word

Z: Okay then how about we get started. Just recently it seems that you made a decision to push the Syrian army into taking back control of the Idlib province, which was the last rebel stronghold were millions of people took refugee after fleeing other parts of Syria earlier in its nearly nine-year civil war. What made you decide to take this route of action Mr. President?

B: Having taking control of the Idlib province, this is a huge mark of significance that would help my drive in taking back all of Syria to end the conflict that has already killed hundreds of thousands of Syrians. Doing this will also help prevent the fighting jihadist militants that have stepped up in attacking civilians all over Aleppo.

Z: Can we briefly go back to when all this started in 2011, you've said that there were mistakes made in the handling of those early demonstrations. Did you make mistakes yourself?

B: No, I never said we made mistakes in handling this. I always said that "anyone could make mistakes", but there is a difference between talking about, or asking your question about policies and about practice. If you want to go back to policies, we took the decision to fight terrorism from the very beginning. We took the decision to make dialogue on a national level, and I think both policies are correct. While if you want to talk about mistakes in practice, and that some mistakes have been committed towards some civilian, that happened from time to time, and some people were punished for these mistakes.

Z: It also seems that you have made a decision to target the city of al-Bab with the help of the Russians. What made you want to push for that?

B: The conflict between us and the Turkish people is in a very tight spot right now. My people and I need to do whatever we can to help drive the Turkish government away from our territories in spite of some unfortunate civilian casualties.

Z: For my last questions, when you speak about trying to liberate, the people that decide to come back in society, how is the process of reconciliation and is it working?

B: Actually, the methodology that we adopted when we wanted to create a good atmosphere – we called it reconciliation, for the people to live together, and for those people who lived outside the control of government areas to go back to the order of law and institutions. It was to give amnesty to anyone who gives up his armament and obey the law. The situation is not complicated regarding this issue, if you have the chance to visit any area, you’ll see that life is getting back to normal. The situation was terrorists taking control of areas, and implementing their rules. When you don’t have those terrorists, people will go back to their normal life and live with each other. There was no sectarian war, there was no ethical war, there was no political war; it was terrorists supported by outside powers, they have money and armaments, and they occupy those areas.

Z: Now I see, the problem is that the terrorists are getting supplied with outside money to attack and cause riots.

B: Yes, that is how it really is.

Z: Well thank you for joining me in this interview Mr. President.

B: It was my pleasure.