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The problem with the West is that they start with political reform going towards democracy. If you want to go towards democracy, the first thing is to involve the people in decision making, not to make it.

Bashar al-Assad

We would have disintegration of Syria if that was the case. It can’t be tolerated in Syria. I’m talking about the normal reaction of the people.
BASHAR AL-ASSAD

Country Normal People Reaction Tolerate
Opposition doesn’t mean to take arms and kill people and destroy everything.
BASHAR AL-ASSAD

Arms Mean People
First of all, when you have a doctor who cut the leg to prevent the patient from the gangrene if you have to, we don’t call butcher ; you call him a doctor, and thank you for saving the lives.
BASHAR AL-ASSAD

Cutting Doctors Legs
Lebanon was under Israeli occupation, up to its capital, but we did not consider that a disaster. Why? Because it was very clear that there are ways to resist.
BASHAR AL-ASSAD

Eugenics Lebanon Occupation
We didn’t say that 80% [of terrorists], for example, or the majority or the vast majority, are foreigners. We said the vast majority are Al-Qaeda or Al-Qaeda offshoot organizations in this region.
BASHAR AL-ASSAD

Example Majority Organization
It is even more so when it comes to Iraq, which is a large Arab country with scientific, material, and human resources and is able to accomplish, at the least, what Lebanon accomplished, and more.
BASHAR AL-ASSAD

Accomplish Country Human More Resources
As we see now the American officials, they say something in the morning and they do the opposite in the evening. So, you cannot judge those people according to what they say. You cannot take them at their words, to be frank.
BASHAR AL-ASSAD

Morning Opposites People
The captain doesn’t think about death, or life, he thinks about saving his ship.
BASHAR AL-ASSAD

Saving Ships Thinking
As a state, as a government, in 2001 we proposed to the United Nations to empty or to get rid of every WMD in the Middle East, and the United States stood against that proposal. This is our conviction and policy.
BASHAR AL-ASSAD

East Government Middle Proposed
When they don’t have support within their country, they couldn’t continue more than – how many weeks ? – three weeks. So, the only reason we stand here for two years and a half is because we have internal support, public support.
BASHAR AL-ASSAD

Continue Country More Support Week
Let’s talk… we have indications, let me just finish this point, because how can use WMD while your troops are only 100 meters away from it ? Is it logical ? It doesn’t happen. It cannot be used like this.
BASHAR AL-ASSAD

Indication Point Troops Use
I will tell [Barack Obama] very simply : present what you have as evidence to the public, be transparent.
BASHAR AL-ASSAD

Barack Evidence Transparent
You cannot reform your society or institution without opening your mind. So the core issue is how to open the mind, the whole society, and this means everybody in society including everyone.
BASHAR AL-ASSAD

Issue Mean Talking
Our democracy should reflect our culture and our habits and our customs and our reality at the same time.
BASHAR AL-ASSAD

Culture Democracy Reality
To have opposition ? We have it, and you can go and meet with them. We have some of them within the government, we have some of them outside the government. They are opposition. We have it.
BASHAR AL-ASSAD

Government Opposition Some Within
People do not only live on interests; they also live on beliefs, especially in very ideological areas. Unless you understand the ideological aspect of the region, you cannot understand what is happening.
BASHAR AL-ASSAD

Aspect Belief People

The problem with the West is that they start with political reform going towards democracy. If you want to go towards democracy, the first thing is to involve the people in decision making, not to make it.

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The problem with the West is that they start with political reform going towards democracy. If you want to go towards democracy, the first thing is to involve the people in decision making, not to make it.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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