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Saturday 29 November, in one of the offices of the Syrian president in Damascus. There is no indication the civil war that is played outside.Except drawings, those of regular soldiers orphans fell foul of "terrorist" attacks, mixed with those of his own children.
The exclusive interview with Syrian President Bashar Assad to Paris Match, Saturday, Nov. 28, in the Syrian capital.
Mr. President, after three years of war, to the point where we are today, do you regret not having managed things differently in the beginning, when the first signs appeared revolt in March 2011? Do you feel responsible?
Bashar Assad . From the early days, there were martyrs from the army and the police.So we, at that time, faces terrorism. There were protests, certainly, but not in large numbers. Our only choice was to defend the people against the terrorists. There were no other. We can not say that we regret, because we were fighting only against terrorism. This does not mean that there have been no mistakes in practice. There are always mistakes. Straight talk as if Qatar had not financed from the start these terrorists, if Turkey they had not provided logistical support and the West political support, things would have been different. Syria was experiencing problems before the crisis, which is normal, but that does not mean finding a homegrown events.
During this war, your army is accused of using massive force. Why bomb civilians?
When a terrorist attack you, do you believe that you can defend yourself through dialogue? The army has used weapons when the other party has made use. Our goal should not be to hit civilians. How can we resist for nearly four years in killing of civilians, that is to say, his own people, and simultaneously fight terrorists and hostile countries that support them, namely those of the Gulf, Turkey and the West? If we do not defend our people, we would be unable to resist.Therefore, it is not logical to say that we bomb civilians.
On the left, President Bashar al-Assad and the Special Envoy of Paris Match in Damascus, Régis Le Sommier.© Paris Match
ABOUT HIS DEPARTURE: "IN THE STORM, THE CAPTAIN DOES NOT TAKE A FLIGHT"
Satellite images of Homs or Hama show canceled neighborhoods. The UN, of which your country talking about 190,000 died during the war. The inhabitants of these districts were they all terrorists?
First, it should be checked to UN statistics. What are the sources? The figures circulating in the world today, especially in the media, are exaggerated. They are wrong. Then the images of destruction are not only satellite photos, but photos taken in the field. This destruction is real.When terrorists entering a region and occupy the army must release it. Fighting then committed. It is normal that there is destruction. In most cases, when the terrorists are installed, civilians fled. In truth, the greatest number of victims in Syria is among the supporters of the state and not the reverse. Many were killed in the attacks. When you have war and terrorism, there is unfortunately innocent victims. It happens anywhere, for that matter. But it is inconceivable that a state is its own citizens.
Also according to the UN, 3 million Syrians have fled to neighboring countries, an eighth of the population. Do these are all allies of the terrorists?
No, no. Most of those who left Syria did so because of terrorism. Among these refugees, some support terrorists, other state. They have left the country for security reasons. Much of refugees supports individual.
"THE COALITION AIR STRIKES ARE NEITHER SERIOUS NOR EFFECTIVE. THEY DO NOT HELP US"
From a military point of view, have you the means to win the war?
Now we are fighting States, not just bands. Billions of dollars paid to them. Weapons were provided to them by countries such as Turkey. It is not an easy war from a military point of view.Still, the Syrian army is progressing in many areas. No one can yet predict when this war will end, or how. Our opponents thought, at first, win the heart of the Syrians. They did not succeed.They lost the support of the local population. This is precisely what has allowed the army to advance. We need to consider the war militarily, socially and politically.
But they have not lost since half of your country escapes you.
The Syrian army can not be everywhere at once. Where it is not present, the terrorists take the opportunity to cross borders and infiltrate a particular area. But every time the army decides to take a region, it succeeds. This is not a war between two armies, in which one occupies a territory and the second another. This is a different kind of war. We are dealing with terrorist groups who infiltrate a city or village. This war will be long and difficult.
Many say that the solution is your departure. Have you considered yourself?
Around the world, a head of state came to power through a constitutional mechanism and leaves through the same mechanism. A president can neither win nor leave power by chaos.Tangible evidence, it is the consequences of the French policy in Libya with the decision to attack Gaddafi. What was the result? After he left, there was chaos. His departure was it the solution? Has the situation improved? Is Libya become democratic? The state is like a ship in a storm, the captain did not take flight. It does not leave the board. If passengers have to go, then it will be the last to leave.
This means that the captain is ready to die. You mentioned Muammar Gaddafi. Are you afraid to die the same way that Saddam Hussein or Gaddafi?
The captain did not think of death or to life. He believes in saving his ship. If it sank, everyone will die. It is best to do everything to save his country. But I would point out something important. My goal is not to remain president, either before, during or after the crisis. But whatever happens, we, Syrians will never allow our country to become a toy in the hands of the West. It is a fundamental principle for us.
Talk about the Islamic state group. It is sometimes said that initially, the Syrian regime has encouraged the rise of Islamist radicals to divide the opposition. What do you say?
First, in Syria, we have a state, not a diet. Clear about the terminology to be. If we assume that this is true, and therefore we supported the Islamic state, this means that we have asked them to attack us, attack our military airports, kill hundreds of our military to occupy our towns and villages. Where is the logic in that? What did we gain in that? Divide and weaken the opposition, as you say? We did not need to. The West itself recognizes that this opposition was the puppet.This is what Obama himself has said. The assumption is false. But where is the truth? In reality, the Islamic State in Iraq was established in 2006. It is actually the United States and not Syria occupying Iraq. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was in US jails and not in Syrian prisons. Who has created the Islamic State? Syria and the United States?
The Syrians we meet in Damascus longer referring to the dormant cells jihadists in the West that the war against the Islamic state. It's amazing, right?
Terrorism is an ideology, not an organization or structure. But the ideology knows no borders.There are twenty years, terrorism was exported from our region, especially from the Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia. Now he comes from Europe, especially France. The largest contingent from Western terrorists in Syria is French. They commit attacks in France. In Belgium, they attacked the Jewish Museum. Terrorism in Europe is not sleeping, he woke up.
Americans are now against the Islamic state, tactical allies. Do you still consider their intervention as a violation of Syrian territory?
You used the word "tactics", and this is an important point. You know a tactic has no meaning without a strategy. Because it alone will not succeed in overcoming terrorism. This is an illegal action, first because it has not received the approval of the Security Council, and also because it did not take into account the sovereignty of a State, which is Syria. The answer is yes. It is an illegal action and thus a violation of national sovereignty.
AFP reports that your aviation conducted 2000 sorties in less than forty days, which is huge. When your planes intersect those of the Americans, for example by going to bomb Raqqa, there is a protocol non-aggression?
There is no direct coordination. We attack terrorism wherever it is located, without regard to what the United States or coalition. You'd be surprised -d'apprendre the daily number of outputs of the Syrian air force to hit the terrorists is higher than that of the coalition. So, first, there is no coordination. Then the coalition strikes are only cosmetic.
But these strikes then help you. The resignation of US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, is partly because he thought they strengthened your government and your positions.
Note that your question contradicts the one in which we are accused of supporting Daech. It means rather that we are enemies of Daech.
I said we understood that initially you supported Daech to divide the opposition.
I do not blame you, I am referring instead to those who think.
Now, one of the consequences is that resignation from the American point of view. Do you still have that coalition strikes help you?
We can not stop terrorism by air strikes. Ground forces who know the geography and act at the same time are essential. That is why there has been no real results after two months of campaigning by the coalition. So it is not true that the coalition strikes help us. They would certainly have helped us if they were serious and effective. It is we who are conducting land battles against Daech and we have seen no change, especially as Turkey still provides direct support in these areas.
July 14, 2008, you were at the podium on the Champs-Elysées, on the sidelines of the summit for the Mediterranean. Today, the French government sees you as an outcast.How do you experience this?
Good relations between 2008 and 2011 were not the result of a French initiative. There was first the Americans who commissioned the French administration, at the time, to put pressure on Syria on Iran. He then had Qatar that grew France to improve relations with Syria. Maintain good relations with us does not emanate from an independent will of France. Today, things have not changed. Holland, like Sarkozy, does not act on its own initiative.
