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Syrian Leaders Hails From Hezbollah 'Victory' Over Israel
Day to Day: August 15, 2006
Syrian Leaders Hails From Hezbollah 'Victory' Over Israel
ALEX CHADWICK, host:
Elsewhere in the Middle East now, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad gave a speech today in Damascus, hailing what he called Hezbollah's victory over Israel.
This came one day after President Bush laid blame on Syria as well as Iran, for what Mr. Bush called - the suffering of the Lebanese people.
We're joined from Damascus by the BBC's John Leyne.
John, tell us what President Assad said today.
Mr. JOHN LEYNE (Reporter, BBC): Well, he praised what he described as the glorious battle waged by Hezbollah. But he said more than that. He said that it had important strategic implications. He said it had emboldened the Arab people. It had effectively restored their pride.
And he also went on to say that he thought that peace in the Middle East was impossible while the Bush administration was in power. So there were tough words, even by Syrian standards.
CHADWICK: The German foreign minister was due in Damascus, what, in the next couple of days? And he's now written to say, I'm not coming, because of this speech.
Mr. LEYNE: That's right. The foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, described this as a negative contribution and cancelled the trip he had been due to make into Damascus today.
But the thing is, that Syria has opposed American and Israeli policy, and so far hasn't seemed to be paying the price for it. So I think they've been emboldened by the outcome of the recent crisis in Lebanon.
CHADWICK: Well, President Assad says this is a victory for Hezbollah. Maybe he sees this as a victory for Syria as well, as a sponsor of Hezbollah.
Mr. LEYNE: Well, certainly Syria has always said it supports Hezbollah and it has refused to answer clear questions about whether or not it's supplying weapons for Hezbollah.
Even today, I was speaking to a Syrian minister, and she refused to say whether they would even abide by the arms embargo imposed on Lebanon in this new UN Security Council resolution that's just passed and has produced a cease-fire.
CHADWICK: John, there's something puzzling to me here, which is that these are President Assad's first real public remarks on the fighting in southern Lebanon and this crisis that's been going on for more than five weeks.
Why has he stayed silent for so long? And why speak now?
Mr. LEYNE: Well, that's an interesting question, why he's remained silent. I think that probably he was keeping his powder dry, seeing which way the wind blew. Clearly, to come out in strong support of Hezbollah, if it then gets wiped out, might not have been such a good tactical move.
Why he's speaking now is quite clear. Basically, the Arab and the Muslim world are crowing. They believe that, if only by not being defeated, they secured a huge victory. That is the firm opinion of most people here in Syria, and I would suggest, across the Arab world.
CHADWICK: There is a widely-held view, at least it's taken as truth in American foreign policy circles, that Syria has been the route for Hezbollah to get these rockets that Hezbollah has been firing into northern Israel.
Is there any suggestion or view there, that this lull indeed will be used to restock Hezbollah's supplies? Can you see that kind of operation underway already?
Mr. LEYNE: Well, who knows? I mean, just look at the geography. There's only one land route from Iran to Lebanon and it goes through Syria. Presumably, the Israelis can keep a pretty close watch on the seaports and flying stuff in by air will be even more difficult.
So you haven't got to be a rocket scientist to work out that almost certainly, these weapons would have to travel through Syria. Syria neither confirms nor denies this. Even the non-denial, one would suspect, makes you even more suspicious.
CHADWICK: There is political commentary that we see in this country, that maybe Hezbollah has overplayed its hand here. That people in Lebanon will look around and say, well, okay. Our country is in utter ruin. Hezbollah may be doing okay politically, but we're not.
I wonder what the feeling is in Damascus, not on the part of Mr. Assad, but on ordinary people who read the news, who get the news, who see what's happened.
Mr. LEYNE: Hezbollah has won enormous support here in Syria, and so far as I can tell from here, across the Arab world. And that’s not just Syrian propaganda. That is the automatic view of anybody in the street. Because anybody who takes on the Israelis here and wins, or at least is not defeated, becomes a popular hero. And you don’t need to be part of the Syrian propaganda machine to understand that.
CHADWICK: John Leyne reporting for the BBC from Damascus, Syria. John, thank you.
Mr. LEYNE: My pleasure.
CHADWICK: And this note: Before the program today, we’d called Syria’s ambassador to the United States to ask for an interview. He couldn’t come on today, but he’s agreed to speak with us tomorrow. Imad Mustafa, tomorrow on DAY TO DAY.
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