Syria Wants Int'l Help for 'Honorable' Exit from Crisis
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Syria on Friday appealed to the international community as well as Arab countries to help it find an "honorable exit" to the crisis it is facing, notably by stopping the flow of weapons into the country.
"We are appealing to the outside world and our brothers in the Arab world to help Syria (prevent the) channeling (of) weapons" into the country, foreign ministry spokesman Jihad Maqdisi told a news conference in Damascus, speaking in English.
"We want the others, all the others, to support the Syrian evolution, not the armed confrontation in Syria," he said.
"If we all work together we can find an honorable exit to the crisis."
Maqdisi convened the news conference to denounce U.S. news network ABC, which this week broadcast an interview with President Bashar al-Assad.
"The network distorted what the president said," Maqdisi said.
"It deliberately deformed the president's words ... by airing videos (of violence) to incite" action against Syria, the spokesman said.
"That was a deliberate mistake."
Maqdisi said ABC had edited the interview Assad gave to veteran journalist Barbara Walters and broadcast only what it wanted the world to hear, leaving out long extracts of what the president said.
"The important thing (was) to show Syria is evil," Maqdisi said.
"The battle is political and we know that," he added.
Maqdisi stressed that Assad is "appalled and saddened" by the deadly violence that has shaken Syria for nearly nine months.
"The president has promised accountability," he added.
Maqdisi also stressed that Assad's regime gave "no clear instructions to use live ammunition" against pro-democracy protesters who have held almost daily protests since mid-March.
Assad denied in the interview with ABC that he ordered the killing of protesters in Syria and said "only a crazy person" would target his own people.
"We don't kill our people," Assad said.
"No government in the world kills its people, unless it's led by a crazy person."
Maqdisi said the network played up this quote as part of a concerted effort in the West to give a negative image of Assad.
The foreign ministry spokesman played part of the interview that was aired by ABC as well as another segment of the original tape to show that some of what Assad said had been edited out.
Assad in the interview also disputed U.N. claims that more than 4,000 people have been killed in Syria in a security force crackdown on dissent since mid-March.
09 December 2011, 23:16
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You voluntarily gave an interview in english, and now your own words are being twisted? Now you pretend that weapons flowing into the country are the only reason for problems?
10 December 2011, 00:08
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The end is near and the Assad family will pay dearly for their murderous regime.
10 December 2011, 00:33
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Wow so ABC edits the interview with Asad to make him look evil, yet Syrian is supposed to allow "free access" to all the "free and independent" media? It's a good thing our Syrian government isn't so stupid! There is no such thing as free and independent media. NO SUCH THING!!!
10 December 2011, 01:53
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Don't shoot the messenger..
ABC's Barbara Walters - Assad interview did not pay the dividend Assad was expecting. Assad appeared out of touch from reality, as if in Alice Wonderland.
The Assad propaganda machine is trying to downplay the negative publicity by attacking a veteran journalist and calling foul, describing Assad as 'Appalled and Saddened', seeking mercy.
Like his sire, Assad is ruthless and bloodthirsty; however, the table have turned and the hunter has become hunted...
10 December 2011, 13:30
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The Honorable exit is the acquisition of a nice villa in the suburbs of Teheran, for an early retirement, with plenty of books on ophthalmology to read.
10 December 2011, 15:58
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Ibnaljabal, im not defending Bachar as i dont like him at all , but i dont think he is the one pulling the strings, everybody says that his brother in-law Assef Shawkat and his cousin i think Maher el Assad are the strongest men in the country, stronger than Bachar, and he cannot do anything anyway because it got out of his hands and he is not the one in control, what he said to cnn was true, that he isnt responsible for what is happening for his people, because its Assef and Maher leading the killings, he is trying to buy himself in exit like you said, but for himself only , and thats why when Cnn aired what assad said, it would have upset of course Assef and Shawkat, seeing that Bachar is saying he is not responsible, already preparing an exit only for himself if he is caught one day by Interpol or other. Soon enough you are going to see that big heads in the syrian authority will fall , all of them need someone to blame. remember Ghazi Kanaan.
10 December 2011, 18:39
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Israel will exit its current crisis, and the Jewish population which it represents will find security for person, property, and heritage, by placing its criminals on trial for genocide and associated crimes, such as the prolonged attempt to drive Palestinians insane by systematic mistreatment like this Gingrich comment.
It is necessary for the endurance of Jewishness as a culture and Judaism as a religion that these criminals be judged humanely. There is nothing Jewish about genocide. Judaism is not the religion that mocks the dignity of reason expressing itself in law. Israel as a whole is thus a sin and a crime.
Let this be made clear so that international legal institutions can then turn to the "collateral criminals". If you put Assad on trial, maybe the entire Christian leadership of Lebanon should be put on trial for selling out Arab interests to France, and what about Saudi Hariri? Which is the biggest criminal? Start there. Don't economize on truth.
