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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Assad not Seeking Asylum in Ecuador

2012-12-07

[An Nahar] Ecuador said Thursday it has not offered Bashir al-Assad asylum amid speculation the embattled Syrian president was weighing Latin America as a place of refuge. "Totally denied," Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino said on his Twitter account. "No Syrian citizen has requested asylum in Ecuador, much less its current president." The asylum speculation stems from a recent trip to Cuba by Syria's deputy foreign minister, Fayssal Mekdad, who delivered a message from Assad to Cuban President Compañero Raul Castro ...Fidel's little brother... , according to the official Cuban news agency Prensa Latina. The Syrian official also was reported to have traveled to Venezuela, Nicaragua and Ecuador, whose leftist governments have close relations with Havana. Asked about the reports, State Department front man Mark Toner said Wednesday that the United States was aware that some countries had offered to host Assad and his family should he leave Syria.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

U.S. Says Aware of Assad Asylum Offers

2012-12-06

[An Nahar] The United States said Wednesday it was aware of informal offers of asylum to Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Lord of the Baath... by countries in the Middle East and elsewhere. State Department front man Mark Toner gave no details, referring news hounds to others governments after being asked about speculation that the Syrian president was weighing asylum offers from Latin America. "We do understand that some countries, both in the region and elsewhere, have offered to host Assad and his family should he choose to leave Syria," Toner said. "We, at this point, don't have any formal understanding or knowledge of concrete offers. We are aware that some offers have been made, as I said, informally, but we don't have any concrete offers. The asylum speculation stems from a recent trip to Cuba by Syria's deputy foreign minister, Fayssal Mekdad, who delivered a message from Assad to Cuban President Compañero Raul Castro ...Fidel's little brother... , according to the official Cuban Prensa Latina news agency. The Syrian official also was reported to have traveled to Venezuela, Nicaragua and Ecuador, whose leftist governments have close relations with Havana. Tunisia's president offered Assad asylum as recently as March, and U.S. officials told politicians a year ago that Arab leaders were privately telling Washington that had offered Assad asylum if he would step down. But the latest rumors come amid intensifying fighting in the suburbs of Damascus ...Capital of the last remaining Baathist regime in the world... , and U.S. warnings to Syria not to use chemical weapons against its own people.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Syrian official invited for talks in US

2009-09-29

The upcoming visit by Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Fayssal Mekdad is the first in about five years and is part of US efforts to improve strained relations with Damascus. Mekdad, who is currently in New York as part of the Syrian delegation to the UN General Assembly meetings, was to fly to Washington on Monday for talks with US government officials on "a range of issues," the embassy official said. Mekdad's visit was part of "a continuing dialogue" with the Syrian government that began in March, the official said, without giving details. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government regulations. Mekdad's visit comes amid rising tensions between Syria and Iraq after Baghdad accused Damascus of serving as a launching pad for violence in Iraq. Iraq is demanding Syria hand over two members of Saddam Hussein's now-outlawed Baath Party who are blamed by Iraq for the August 19 truck bombings that killed more than 100 people in Baghdad. Syria rejected Iraq's request, saying it had failed to provide evidence implicating the two suspects.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Assad: We turned down nuclear arms offer in 2001

2007-12-20

Syria received an offer of nuclear weapons six years ago, but is not interested in such arms or in a nuclear reactor, Syrian President Bashar Assad said in an interview published yesterday in the Austrian newspaper Die Presse. "Hey buddy, wanna buy a nuke? Cheap! 20 kilotons and everything!" "At the beginning of 2001, someone brought us a letter from a certain Khan. We did not know if the letter was genuine or a forgery by Israel to lure us into a trap. In any case, we rejected [the approach]. We were not interested in having nuclear weapons or a nuclear reactor. We never met Khan." Of course not. Your Dire Enemy™ has nuclear weapons but you don't want them. Having nuclear weapons would make you big heat in the Middle East, but you don't want them. Having nuclear weapons would have the Y'urp-peons and the IAEA licking your boots, but you don't want them. Course not. That doesn't even make sense in an Islamic way. Abdul Qadeer Khan masterminded Pakistan's nuclear program, and has admitted selling nuclear technology to Iran, Libya, and North Korea. Regarding Syria's response to the September 6 Israeli attack on an unidentified target in its area, Assad said that Syria has a right to response to that attack, but hinted that it would not do so. "We could have responded to the IAF strike by firing a missile, but it would have given Israel an excuse to start a war, and we did not want that," Assad said. "Please don't kick our asses!" "This was a military facility under construction. Since it was a military facility, I can't give details. But that does not mean that this was a nuclear facility." So now even Pencilneck has to admit that it wasn't a baby milk factory. Western analyses of satellite imagery of the site indicated it may have concealed a nuclear reactor under construction similar to one of North Korean design. In subsequent images, Syria appeared to have quickly razed the structure. Assad called for Syrian-Israeli peace talks to resume, as follow-up to the Annapolis Conference, and claimed that negotiations could be completed quickly. He said that Syria and Israel had gone 80 percent of the way toward peace in negotiations over returning the Golan Heights, before the talks collapsed in 2000, and that the remaining 20 percent could be completed within a few weeks, and a Golan withdrawal within six months. "Now a referee is needed - the United States above all, naturally with support from the European Union and United Nations," he said. "But without the U.S., nothing will work." You need us to twist the Israelis' arms. We need you for ... what, exactly? Syria sent its deputy foreign minister, Fayssal Mekdad, to Annapolis, where he emphasized the need for Israel to leave the Golan. Assad said in his interview that it is necessary to continue the effort begun at the conference. "If a plane starts and reduces speed, it will crash," Assad said "Annapolis was a one-day event. It all depends on the efforts afterward. We have to be optimistic, but cautious." The Syrian track is slated to be discussed at the conference the Russians will host in Moscow in the first part of 2008. Details of that gathering remain vague, but senior Spanish officials told Haaretz last week that including Syria in the peace process guarantees success on the Palestinian track as well. How, unless Iran and Syria admit that they're holding the Paleo leash these days? Syria traditionally maintains that the peace process must advance under American auspices. Assad repeated that stance yesterday, but was skeptical that George Bush's administration would be in a position to sponsor talks during an election year. He also insinuated that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert cannot advance peace because he is "weaker than any prime minister before him." Can't argue with that. Assad rejected the claim made in Israel that Syria supports "radical movements" like Hamas and Hezbollah. "Whether Hamas is radical or not, they are strong. Therefore one has to talk to Hamas. Without them, there will be neither stability nor peace," he said, adding that the same goes for Hezbollah in Lebanon. "They're not radical in an Islamic way," he added. Regarding ties with Iran, Assad said that Syria would support whoever advances its interests and goals. "Iran is a very important country - whether you like it or not," he said, and stability in the Middle East is not possible without it.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Syria killed Lebanon's minister Pierre Gemayel

2006-11-23

Kuwaiti Newspaper Alseyassah has reported that a SANA (Syrian Arab News Agency) editor has contacted a Lebanese pro-Syrian newspaper 55 minutes prior to the assassination. The call took place at 3:05 pm Beirut local time. Alseyassah did not name the Lebanese newspaper to protect its identity. The Alseyassah added that the Lebanese newspaper was extremely surprised about SANA’s call which prompted the SANA reporter to call 10 minutes later and apologize for the original call. Both PSP leader Walid Jumblatt and parliament majority leader Saad Hariri have accused Syria of being behind the murder in order to avoid the implementation of the UN tribunal for trying the murderers of former PM Hariri. Social Affairs Minister Nayla Moawad also laid blame on Damascus for seeking to kill ministers to force the collapse of Siniora's government. It is clearly obvious that if SANA knew in advance of the murder, the Syrian regime of Bashar el Assad must have been behind the murder. As if to confirm of being behind the murder, Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Fayssal Mekdad rejected any of his citizens be brought to justice by an international tribunal into former PM Rafik Hariri's murder, al Hayat newspaper reported Wednesday. "Syria will not allow to turn in any of its citizens before an international judiciary because we are confident of our" judicial system, Mekdad was quoted as saying by the daily. Alseyassah was the first newspaper to report about the involvement in Hariri murder of the 4 generals that report directly to president Lahoud. All the 4 generals are now in jail pending trial.

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Iraq

Syrian Official Considering Baghad Visit

2006-11-01

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) - Syria's foreign minister is considering a visit to Baghdad in November - the first by a top Syrian official since the fall of Saddam Hussein and a major step toward restoring diplomatic relations, Iraqi and Syrian officials said Tuesday. Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem is considering traveling to Iraq, said a Syrian Foreign Ministry official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to give statements to the press. In Baghdad, an Iraqi Foreign Ministry official, who spoke on condition of anonymity for the same reason, said the ministries agreed "in principal" that al-Moallem would visit Iraq in November. Both the Syrian and the Iraqi official said no date had been set. Imad Fawzi Shueibi, a Syrian political analyst, said the visit sends a "clear Syrian message that what is happening in Iraq - the sectarian killing and violence - is a red line for Arab national security and Syrian national security that can't be accepted by Damascus." Other than the fact that they aided and abetted the Sunni end of the killing, you mean. It's the Shi'a fighting that bothers them. Damascus broke relations with Baghdad in 1982, accusing Iraq of inciting riots by the banned Muslim Brotherhood in Syria. Damascus also sided with Iran in the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war. Commercial ties improved during the last few years of Saddam's rule before he was overthrown in 2003, but no Syrian ministers have gone to Baghdad for more than six years. Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Fayssal Mekdad said in October that al-Moallem would visit Baghdad after the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which ended Oct. 23-24, and that he would discuss the restoration of diplomatic ties with senior Iraqi officials. Syrian officials had said in February that Syria would exchange ambassadors with Iraq once a new Iraqi government was formed, marking the first time Damascus set a time frame for restoring full diplomatic ties. The new Iraqi government took office in May, but there has been no exchange of ambassadors. They lied but that's not unusual.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Syria, Lebanon welcome UN report on Hariri

2006-03-16

Syrian and Lebanese officials have welcomed the latest report by a UN commission investigating the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri, calling it fair and cooperative. "The report was realistic and has a lot of professionalism," Fayssal Mekdad, the Syrian deputy foreign minister and a former ambassador to the United Nations, was quoted as saying in the government newspaper Thawra Wednesday. In Beirut, Lebanese Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh also said the report was well-done, telling reporters that "we welcome the atmosphere of close cooperation reflected in the report between the commission and Lebanese authorities." The report, released Tuesday by the investigating commission's new chief Serge Brammertz, said there are encouraging signals from Syria, which earlier reports accused of not fully cooperating in the UN probe. The report noted that, after two high-level meetings, Syria agreed to a deal that will give the commission access to "individuals, sites and information." "This understanding will be tested in the upcoming months," Brammertz wrote. In a major sign of Syrian cooperation, the UN team was to meet with President Bashar Assad and Vice President Farouq Sharaa in the coming month as part of its investigation, according to Brammertz. The commission has asked to interview Assad, who is alleged to have threatened Hariri in a private meeting several months before his assassination. Assad, who has denied the claims, had earlier resisted interviews, implying in comments to newspapers that he rejected the team's requests on the grounds that he has international immunity. Earlier commission reports implicated several Syrian and allied Lebanese officials in the February 2005 bombing that killed Hariri and 20 others in Beirut. Those reports, Mekdad said, encouraged the news media to make premature judgements. "But the new one did not," he said.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Mehlis: Al-Hariri probe may take years

2005-12-14

The UN inquiry into the assassination of Rafiq al-Hariri, the former Lebanese prime minister, could take years unless Syria speeds up cooperation with the investigation, the head of the probe has said. That's exactly what they want, so don't expect much in the way of cooperation... In response, Fayssal Mekdad, Syria's UN ambassador told the UN Security Council his country had not hindered the investigation, led by Detlev Mehlis, a German prosecutor. Then his lips fell off. "We are ready to do whatever the commission requests us to do," Mekdad said on Tuesday. He said his foreign minister, Farouk al-Shara, welcomed a meeting with Mehlis. The Syrian ambassador gave his government's first response to a 25-page report Mehlis delivered to the council on Monday. He said his team had found new evidence implicating Syria in the truck bomb murder of al-Hariri and 22 others on 14 February, 2005 in Beirut. After the meeting, Mekdad told reporters: "We believe that this investigation will lead to the clearance of Syria because it is in our interest to find the truth. Syria has nothing do with this heinous crime." "We're just not in a rush. Fresh evidence isn't the same as good evidence, y'know."

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Iraq

Iraqi foreign minister blasts Syria

2005-09-24

Syria is refusing to stop insurgents and foreign fighters from entering Iraq because it is frightened of efforts to build a democratic nation in the heart of the Middle East and wants them to fail, Iraq's foreign minister says. Hoshyar Zebari said in an interview Thursday with The Associated Press that Syria isn't alone in trying to thwart Iraq's efforts to establish a democracy but because of its proximity, its refusal to cooperate is having a more devastating impact in lost lives from terrorist attacks. "It is important that the world should know, really, that Syria is not helping. It's not cooperating, despite the many, many pledges, promises - none of that has happened," he said. With Baghdad expecting insurgents to step up efforts to disrupt the Oct. 15 referendum on a new constitution, Zebari in his speech to the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday urged Iraq's neighbors, especially Syria, "to root out elements of terror" by tightening border controls. Syria's U.N. Ambassador Fayssal Mekdad insisted Wednesday that his country has been cooperating with Iraq by deploying 10,000 troops on the border, spending millions of dollars to establish barriers to prevent extremists from crossing, and arresting hundreds of potential infiltrators and sending them home. He complained that requests to the United States for sophisticated equipment, including night vision binoculars, have been rejected, and he accused Iraq of not doing enough to stop those who make it into the country. But Zebari said Thursday that the problem rests squarely with Syria. "The question is not a technical issue ... of border control equipment, technology. It's a question of political will," he said. "We think if you want you can help, and so that's what we are saying. We're not calling for another invasion against Syria by American or international forces." Asked why he thought Syria lacked the political will, Zebari replied, "I think it's based on wrong assumptions - to make life difficult in Iraq, to see this plan of democracy-building fail in Iraq." "They and others are frightened, really, of this experiment to succeed. This is the bottom line. They don't want these values, these ideas to take root in a country like Iraq. This may affect them," he said. "I think this project of democracy-building in Iraq has alarmed many authoritarian autocratic regimes in the region," Zebari said. "Many of them are counting on our failure, and they have not been helpful." He said his government's response to the Syrians and other opponents is to argue that supporting Baghdad is in their interest, "that a democratic Iraq will not contradict your national interest, your country. We'll do business with you." He said many Iraqis are defending the country's new democratic goals, which are embedded in the new constitution, including pluralism, democratic freedoms, a bill of rights, separation of powers, transparency and federalism. "These are new ideas," Zebari said. "That's why they are not comfortable." In contrast to Syria, he said, neighboring Iran has a very different agenda and is "behaving in a more shrewd way." The Iranians support their allies and friends in Iraq, "but they are not encouraging or supporting groups to resort to violence, or to take up arms against the multinational force or against the government." Iran is willing to study information about arms shipments and infiltration and is prepared to follow up on it, he said. "They don't deny there is infiltration," Zebari said, "but they are always willing to establish mechanisms, communications, etc., to deal with these problems."

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Baby Assad scratched from Condi's dance card

2005-09-09

Syrian President Bashar Assad will not receive an invitation for a meeting of European and Middle Eastern leaders hosted by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice next week in New York. The meeting coincides with the special session of the UN General Assembly, which attracts scores of world leaders. President George W. Bush plans to speak to the assembly next Wednesday and Rice will spend a week or more in New York, taking advantage of the leaders' presence to conduct some diplomacy. One of the top items on her list is stepping up pressure on Syria to steer clear of Lebanon in its drive for political independence and to crack down on Palestinian militants with headquarters in Damascus. Rice will try to rally support when she hosts a meeting of European and Middle Eastern leaders. But the target of her campaign will not be there. Facing international pressure over the investigation into Lebanon's former Premier Rafik Hariri's assassination, Assad has decided not to attend the General Assembly session. No official reason was given by Damascus for the president's pull-out, which contradicted last month's statement by Syria's UN Ambassador Fayssal Mekdad who said that Assad would attend.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Assad plans to visit UN for first time

2005-08-16

Syrian President Bashar Assad plans to attend a UN world summit in New York next month, the first time a Syrian head of state participates in a conference of the world organization, Syria's UN Ambassador Fayssal Mekdad said Monday. "President Assad will travel to New York to attend the UN world summit on September 14-16," Mekdad said. Leaders from more than 170 countries are expected to attend the U.N. summit designed to approve new approaches to security, development, human rights and UN management in the 21st century. Mekdad said he has not yet been informed of the Syrian president's schedule in New York. Assad, who has been in office since the death of his father Hafez in 2000, has repeatedly called for dialogue with the United States to improve strained relations between the two countries. Here's hoping Ambassador Bolton is available to greet Mr. Assad with his hands on his hips in an aggressive manner. Right before he nails him between the eyes with a stapler.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Bolton warns Iran, Syria over Iraqi border

2005-08-04

UNITED NATIONS - U.S. Ambassador John Bolton, in his debut in the U.N. Security Council, pressed Syria and Iran on Thursday to do more to stem the flow of terrorists, arms and funding into neighboring Iraq. His comments came as the 15-nation council unanimously adopted a U.S.-drafted resolution condemning a recent surge in violence in Iraq that has killed hundreds, including Algerian diplomats, U.S. Marines and a Sunni Arab helping to draft a new Iraqi constitution. Russia used the vote to criticize the media for glorifying terrorists after Moscow said it would bar ABC News from working in Russia when the U.S. television network aired an interview with Chechen rebel leader Shamil Basayev. Bolton urged all nations "to meet their obligations to stop the flow of terrorist financing and weapons, and particularly on Iran and Syria." "We think this is very important, obviously, to help bring stability and security to the people of Iraq and to permit the constitutional process to go forward. It's the highest priority for the people and government of Iraq, and for the United States as well," he said, speaking after the council vote. Syrian Ambassador Fayssal Mekdad attacked Bolton's statement and similar comments by British Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry, saying they showed "a determined campaign against Syria" by Washington and London. While Damascus had deployed around 10,000 soldiers and erected more than 300 surveillance towers along its border with Iraq, Britain and the United States had spurned a Syrian plea for assistance including night vision gear, he said. "This help has never come. We would like to ask them, what have they done on the other side of the border? They have done nothing while Syria has taken all measures," Mekdad said. President Bush installed Bolton as his chief representative to the United Nations on Monday, bypassing Senate confirmation after Democrats stalled the nomination for five months. His vote to approve the resolution on Iraq was his first official act at the world body although he has spent the past few days making the rounds of key diplomats. While terrorism had struck with deadly effect in Beirut, New York, Madrid, London, Beslan, Bali, Riyadh and elsewhere, "nowhere is it as virulent and persistent as it is in Iraq nowadays," Iraqi Ambassador Samir Sumaidaie told the council, welcoming its adoption of the resolution. Iraq "is bearing the burden for the world and now the world must stand with it," he said. Russian Deputy U.N. Ambassador Alexander Konuzin used Bolton's presence to remark that while the vote showed the council's resolve against terrorism in Iraq, "we are not under the delusion that, after adoption of this resolution, that terrorist attacks will be brought to an end in Iraq." He also lashed out at the media who "yield to the commercial temptation to popularize bloody bandits who are defiling the memory of those who have died." "We are talking about abuse by ABC which offended many Russians -- showing this interview with a terrorist," he said. Russia this week banned ABC journalists from talking to officials and will not allow them to renew their media accreditation.

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