‘Foreign intervention in Syria rejected’

Press TV in its Middle East Today program has interviewed the head of al-Tahrir Party’s media office, Dr. Bakash about agreements made by foreign powers over Syria versus the Syrian’s demand to allow Syria to sort out its own internal issues without foreign intervention.

Also contributing to this interview is Ziad al-Havez, Arab Nationalist Forum and Talib Ibrahim, a political activist from Damascus. What follows is an approximate transcript of the interview.

Press TV Do you think that the Geneva convention in itself was a continuation of the Kofi Anan plan or just a way to keep this plan alive at least?

Bakash: Yes, in a way it was meant to give him a shot in the arm to keep him alive, but in reality it came to translate into a practical plan, an agreement reached by Mr. Obama and Russian President Putin when they met in Mexico on the 18th of June.

But at the end of the day it amounted to nothing, just mere empty words in effect as you said it’s lacking; there is not any execution or implementation procedures to be enforced… And when we say the details of it we talk about the formation of a transitional government; that they will set up a free election; and they will have for one year.

So it’s clear that the whole ongoing crisis in Syria, it seems according to the Russians and Americans they see giving it plenty of time.

Press TV The issue of a transitional government, was it already founded in the Anan plan or is this just one way to help it?

Bakash: It’s really ambiguous because they say, OK, the transitional government will be formed by mutual consent of both parties – so we are back to a catch-22. The Syrian regime will insist on the opposition to disarm so it won’t get anywhere. It’s a catch-22; it’s more of the same; we are back to square one.

Press TV It seems that the Syrian opposition is somewhat skeptical of some kind of a transitional government, which could include the current government. Why is that? How does the opposition really look at the Geneva meeting?

Bakash: Well the opposition you are referring to is the one outside like the Syrian National Council and so on… at the same time it was important to note the attitude expressed by the Free Army when they said that those gathering in Cairo, they don’t represent us.

Only us inside, we will settle this dispute or this ongoing crisis and that’s something for that matter also. That’s what Hether Mella said, he said the situation will be resolved by Syrian hands from those inside not those gathering in New York or Paris or outside.

Let’s not forget that this National Council, they were formed in Turkey to be a catalyzer for the American solution when it is ready, when it ripens. This is to some extent similar to what the Americans did prior to attacking Saddam Hussein in Iraq; they gathered the so-called opposition in London to prepare for the post Saddam Hussein era. So this is something similar. They are willing to come to Damascus on top of American tanks.

I applaud here the Free Army inside Syria saying you don’t represent us, we will decide our own issues internally. And for that matter for the record I have to say that the opposition we denounce and reject and oppose any and all foreign intervention especially when it comes from the former colonial powers both in Europe and America and Russia.

We have our issues, our problems – we have to resolve them on our own. As well, we are fully aware of the complexity of the issue, the role played by Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey and so on. All of these regimes, local regimes, they are agents and they follow the dictate of the foreign powers in Europe and America and elsewhere.

Press TV: I want to get your take on what we just heard from Dr. Hafez and the fact if you’re with the Free Syrian army so it seems that this opposition or these groups inside Syria will only get what they need through fighting and through continuous violence is that right?

Bakash: Ultimately, point number one, it has to be clear that it is up to us to resolve our own problems. When the French or the Americans or the Russians or whoever, the outside foreign powers …They are the cause of the problem. Their intervention today and yesterday and since it began, they are the ones that caused these problems, not only in Syria, but across the region.

We have to be loud and clear – that this foreign intervention is to be opposed totally. Now, internally, in Syria, it’s up to us internally for the army its mission, the task for the Syrian army is to defend the nation. Fine, they shot down a Turkish airplane the other day; they should have also addressed the Israeli attack when Israel attacked Syria a number of times. So the mission of the army is to defend the nation.

Press TV: The opposition of course is still not unified and they cannot really form an alternative to the government, the best way would be just to negotiate and have national dialogue as long as you have a great portion of Syrians still supporting this government.

Bakash: Well, you cannot speak for dialogue of governments. You can’t speak of dialogue when tanks and artilleries and women and children are being killed every day.

Let’s agree on the sanctity and sacredness of the blood. This ongoing bloodshed has to cease now. Now! Then you can talk about something called dialogue.

What the Russian Minister Lavrov said was, he meant that he met Clinton in Russia before Geneva and Lavrov said in that meeting that Hillary Clinton didn’t really push for this plan, which was submitted in Geneva he said not a word, not a word. Clinton… it’s clear that the Americans are playing games with us.

Lavrov exposed the real American attitude is simply all a smokescreen.

Let’s not forget the chess game. This is a game of nations. When it comes to Russia and America and the Chinese and Europe, they bargain. This is a bargain. America in Kosovo, they attacked Kosovo; they even attacked the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade in 1999. So, when it comes to so-called vital American interests or national interests or French or Russian they will go to war even.

So what we have to warn against here is that we in Syria, in Lebanon, the regime we do not agree in any shape for the Russian the French the American or Europeans to negotiate at our expense at the expense of our blood and our peace and our harmony.

All of this foreign intervention has to be stopped and rejected and anybody – the National Council – anybody who promotes this foreign intervention should be rejected and opposed.

SC/HGH

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