Transcript: Syrian president Bashar Assad

ASSAD: Not political process to give the American people that our war was justified and-- the situation is much better and the democracy is spreading everywhere in the Middle East and-- and so on.  What they have done to have real political process?  Without political process you cannot talk about stability.  Again, it's not the issue of smugglers.  We have smugglers coming to Syria forever.

But why we have stability?  It's political situation.  It's not the security.  It's not the army.  So it has to work seriously towards having real political process.  And this process can be based on Iraqi vision.  And we have clear vision of all the Iraqi different factions, he can ask for-- national conference, national Iraqi conference and not international conference as they wanted a few months ago.

It won't work.  It should be national Iraqi conference with the support of regional countries and the international powers.  This is how it starts.  But we haven't started anything like this.

CURRY: Is there still time?

BASHAR ASSAD: For this administration it seems it's too late.  'Cause they have to learn the lesson.  And after four years you haven't learned your lesson in Iraq.  It's too late to learn.  But we still have time as a region.  Yes.  If there's a will, we still have time.  It's never too late.

CURRY: You're saying it's maybe too late for this administration to be a part of peace in Iraq?

BASHAR ASSAD: I'm talking about learning the lesson.  If they can learn the lesson and I hope I'm wrong that they can learn the lesson in the remaining time for this administration.  It's not too late.

CURRY: What in your view, based on your experience, does this administration have to do if it accepts your statement that it must solve this politically and not militarily?

BASHAR ASSAD:  First of all, to give the authority to government.

CURRY:  Iraqi government?

BASHAR ASSAD:  Iraqi government.

CURRY: But it says it has.

BASHAR ASSAD: No.

CURRY: It says it has.

BASHAR ASSAD: Not—

CURRY: It has its government in place.

BASHAR ASSAD: I’ll give you one example.  A few months ago they sent 30,000 troops - I heard this from an Iraq official, from a high rank. I wouldn’t mention his name unless you want me to say that.  I asked him this question: What don’t you do your best to stabilize the terrorism? In Baghdad? In Iraq? The region? He said, “Once they send 30,000 troops and they are taught by the American army.  We’re not allowed to do anything. We don’t have any authority.”

CURRY: You’re saying the Iraqi Army doesn’t have—the Iraqi government doesn’t have authority over the US Army?  Well, of course it doesn’t.  Why should the Iraqi government have authority over the US Army?

BASHAR ASSAD: No, no, no.  Over their army.

CURRY: Over their army.  Ah, ah, ah.

BASHAR ASSAD: Exactly.  The Iraqi Army—

CURRY: You’re say—you’re saying—you’re saying that in the Iraqi government, a high level officials told you that they don't have control over his own Iraqi army?

BASHAR ASSAD: Yeah.  That hasn’t been anyway.  A third thing, whoever controls will take the responsibility.  If you don’t want to give the authority of the Iraqi government over their army or over the American army, so you take the responsibility. You don’t blame the Iraqi government.  So that’s how they have to fight.  Then, as I mentioned, they’re must become dialogue among the differing factions and to prepare for a national conference.

CURRY: Let me tell you the truth.  The American people are frustrated.  They are losing their sons and their fathers in Iraq.  They are furious about these car bombs and these IEDs that are causing their loved ones, if they don’t kill them, they lose their arms and their legs.

BASHAR ASSAD:Exactly.

CURRY: They’re frustrated and they’re heart broken.

BASHAR ASSAD: And the same in our region.

CURRY: So what is it that must cause this suffering to end?  What is the best thing now that the Bush administration can do?  That you can do?

BASHAR ASSAD: That we can do or they can do?

CURRY: That they can do.

BASHAR ASSAD: They can do for Iraq.  For—

CURRY: To end this suffering.

BASHAR ASSAD: They cannot, as long as you have occupation, you have this conflict.

CURRY: You’re saying—you’re saying the US should get out of Iraq?

BASHAR ASSAD: Oh, definitely.  There’s no doubt.  This is our announced position.  They have to.  But when this is not the question.  We don’t say today or tomorrow.  We were not the ones to say when or how.

But first of all, they have to announce publicly that they’re going to leave Iraq.  Second, they should have scheduled timetable.  In parallel, they have to have the political parties because, again now, what’s going on in Iraq—the United States administration is responsible (UNINTEL) sectarian situation now, the (UNINTEL) sectarian conflict (UNINTEL) that we have recently.

So they should have this process.  Otherwise, Iraq is going to be disintegrated.  We may say that there’s no civil war or full blown civil war now in Iraq.  But definitely Iraq is sitting on the precipice of civil war.  It’s not far from it.  So they—there must be a timetable.  In the United States.  In Iraq.

CURRY: I think a family that has a boy, young man, in battle in Iraq.  You say what about Syria’s involvement?  Because the American public, the American people are asking can they trust you.  You say you talk about the government.  What do you say to the mother and the father of a—of a soldier in Iraq?

BASHAR ASSAD: Oh, the American soldiers?

CURRY: Yes.  About your involvement of—look—can you look them in the eye and say— "Syria is absolutely not involved in causing"

BASHAR ASSAD: There is big difference between those—if you call them terrorists who are crossing any border to come—and do a suicide bomb.  And between what you called them or what this administration called the insurgent that (UNINTEL) American army who are Iraqis.

They don’t cross any borders.  However, the operation against the American army is Iraqi.  They are different.

CURRY: Really?

CURRY: But the foreign fighters are causing the car bombings and that’s killing civilians.  It’s also killing troops as well.

BASHAR ASSAD: Well, maybe by coincidence.  From our investigation—with those who are captured recently—they say their goal or their target is always Iraqis.

CURRY: So what is your message then to the American families who are suffering because of this war, who are heart broken and who are wondering whether they can trust your not hurting their—their children?

BASHAR ASSAD: I would ask them to ask themselves what—reasons their sons dying for... What noble cause their children—

CURRY: What is your message to the mothers and fathers in America of young soldiers in Iraq who fear, who worry that they cannot trust that you are not making their lives better?    What is your message to the mother and father of soldiers in Iraq who fear that you may making—you may be making the situation worse for their children?

BASHAR ASSAD: Of course you feel sorry for anyone who dies for any reason.  Nobody’s happy to see this conflict.  But you have lost thousands of American soldiers in Iraq.  But the Iraqis have lost more than 700,000 lives and I don’t know how many but definitely about a million widows and orphans.  The same.  We—we all paying the price.  So why do the American and the Iraqis are paying the price for what cause?  That’s a question that they have to ask and that we ask.  Who—who wins?  The United States?

The situation is against the United States.  And they don’t—they—they don’t fight for national reason.  It’s a reality.  You have to be frank with them.

CURRY: You’re saying that the mothers and fathers of American soldiers should—ask the question.  What is the question?

BASHAR ASSAD: (UNINTEL) this administration (UNINTEL) why did you do this war?  Why did you kill Americans and kill Iraqis?  We—I don’t have answer.  But they—they should ask for this answer because—they lost their boys.

CURRY: So—I get the clear impression—you fear chaos in Iraq. And you fear it’s going to widen.

BASHAR ASSAD: Yes.  Because it has domino effect.  We have the same in this region, we have the same mosaic of society.  Whenever you have problems somewhere, it will stream directly not only to neighboring countries, to the rest of the region.

CURRY: How is it affecting Syria?

BASHAR ASSAD: Not now.  We have stability.  We feel the tension.  When you have tension—you won’t have-- (UNINTEL) investment.  When you don’t have investment, you have—stagnation of the economy.  And that will affect the political situation and so on.

It’s all linked with each other.  This is one—aspect that when you have full blown war—full blown civil war, for example, in this integration of Iraq, the different—ethnicities and sects in the region will be affected by the civil war.  And it will be part of it.  And then you have this—this integration spreading toward maybe Asia, toward north, south, nobody knows where.

CURRY: You’re talking about a widening war that burns not just in Iraq but throughout the Middle East and—

BASHAR ASSAD: Exactly.  That’s what—

CURRY: This is something that you think is possible?

BASHAR ASSAD: That’s what I call the domino effect, of course.  I’m not talking about the next few months or the next few years.  But you have problems and you don’t solve it.  And every day it’s worse.  So to say it—it is not possible, of course it’s possible.  We work against it in order to make it just illusion.  But are we going to succeed or not? 

CURRY: You’re already beginning to see the edges are fraying.  You have 1.4 million Iraqis who’ve moved into Syria, just Syria alone.

BASHAR ASSAD: Yes.  Exactly.

CURRY: And these are poor, traumatized people.

BASHAR ASSAD: Yeah.

CURRY: This is causing some problems in Syria.

BASHAR ASSAD: When you say “poor” and “traumatized,” this is very essential because this has two aspects.  The first aspect is the (UNINTEL) and we have to help them from a humanitarian—position and because they’re our neighbors and because we have the same nationality, the same (UNINTEL) and—and the same society.

This is normal.  But most importantly, the other aspect, when you talk about stability in Iraq, you talk about the political parties.  When you talk about the  political parties, talk about the Iraqi people.  Now the (UNINTEL) in any problem are the most important (UNINTEL) to have good political parties.

And if those traumatized people, if you don’t take—take care about (UNINTEL) how to—how to—how could they earn their living, building another direction.  So of them could be extremists.  And when your extreme—when you’re extremist, you have thin line between being extremist and terrorist.

So they’re going to be (UNINTEL) against any political parties (UNINTEL PHRASE).  So we have to take care of them.  It’s not only humanitarian (UNINTEL).  It’s a political.  That’s why we mentioned to—to the Americans, to the Europeans recently and in Geneva Conference about the refugees (UNINTEL) that this issue is not Syrian issue.  It’s a international issue.  The whole world should take care of those refugees, support them, in order to be a real part and positive part of any political parties in the future.

CURRY: And if they don’t, if the world does not take care of these refugees?

BASHAR ASSAD: We are trying our best, but how much can we do?  For this we are small country.  We don’t have a lot of resources.  We have another half a million Palestinian refugees.  We have our own economic problems.  We do our best, but how can we achieve?  I don’t know.

CURRY: And if you don’t, if nothing—if not enough is done for these refugees, you fear that they could be part of this widening war?

BASHAR ASSAD: Because now we have one and a half million.  And the situation in Iraq is getting worse.  This means we have another few million but other countries.  It’s going to be a big problem.  It is.

CURRY: So you—would you say that you need help?  Do you need help from the outside?

BASHAR ASSAD: We asked—

CURRY: From the US?

BASHAR ASSAD: --from all the countries in the world.  But definitely the US, sure, because they created this mess and they have to pay for it.  We don’t have to pay for their mess.

CURRY: And what is it that you think the US should pay?

BASHAR ASSAD: Should pay—

CURRY: What do you think the US has a responsibility to do?

BASHAR ASSAD: Definitely for—for, as I mentioned, to—to (UNINTEL) people earn their living.  How—dedicated (UNINTEL) technical issue (UNINTEL) specialist, what kind of—for example, if you ask the most important thing—I’ll tell you the schools.  Where can they learn?

They’re going to be illiterate in three years.  Is that what you want?  You know, to tell the truth, illiteracy is the perfect (ground) for terrorism.

CURRY: Perfect fertile soil.  Yeah.

BASHAR ASSAD: Fertile soil for terrorists.  Is that what you want?  So schools help.  They are people, they want to be healthy.  Then food.  All other services.  American people in your country, you know, what do Americans want for their daily lives?  The same for Iraqis.

CURRY: I have a feeling if you were sitting face to face with George Bush you’d have a lot to say.  What is the most important thing you would tell him, if you could have the opportunity?

BASHAR ASSAD: As long as you don’t talk about peace in the region, you are the problem.  This is the basis.  Any American policy in the Middle East should be based on peace.  And that’s what I mentioned many times even before 11^th of September.

After 11^th of September, before the invasion of Afghanistan and before the invasion of Iraq and now our nation (UNINTEL).  But now the (UNINTEL) has becoming more complicated because you have to add the Iraqi issue which is linked to the peace process and to what’s going on in Lebanon.  (UNINTEL PHRASE) peace.  So the—the more problems you have, the more heavy loads you put over the word “peace,” which was very simple (UNINTEL)-- I mean, which was much more simpler a few years ago.

CURRY: The president has said and would say, “Sir, I have a problem with terrorism.  I have a problem with people trying to attack America.  And I’ve gotta do something about it.”

BASHAR ASSAD: Very good to talk about your problem.  But the—the answer that we want or the (UNINTEL) that you’re going to take in the war, what is the medical to treat the patient?

CURRY: Was this the medicine?

BASHAR ASSAD: No.

CURRY: You’re saying was invading Iraq the medicine—

BASHAR ASSAD: The medicine.

CURRY: --the fix the problems of terrorism?

BASHAR ASSAD: No.  You make it worse.  You only make it worse.  You’re coming say that you have ache ‘cause you didn’t—you—you eat in a careless way.  Then you’re eating another more heavy food.  You would feel awful.

CURRY: What then would you suggest to the president?  What then is the most important thing he, the US, can do now?

BASHAR ASSAD: Again, they have, first, to focus on helping the Iraqis (UNINTEL) situation and go through this (UNINTEL) that I mentioned and to make dialogue.  Start from dialogue.  We have to listen to others.

If the United States, no matter how research centers and (UNINTEL) intelligence and the best genius you put them in this administration, if you don’t go to reality, go to people, go to people who live in this region for thousands of years, you cannot (UNINTEL).  First talk to them, listen to them.

CURRY: Talk to you.

BASHAR ASSAD: Not to me.

CURRY: You’re saying—no, you’re saying talk to you.

BASHAR ASSAD: No, to all the countries in this region and to all the factions—

CURRY: Including Syria.

BASHAR ASSAD:  Of course.  We are part of it.  Of course including Syria.  But I’m not inviting them to make dialogue (UNINTEL).  Whenever we say we talk about dialogue, they think that we are weak and we are begging them to make dialogue.  No.  I’m talking about making dialogue with everybody in this region and listen.

And then analyze in the correct way.  That’s what they have to do.  But that would be—anything else would be—counterproductive.

CURRY: So without that, do you have any hope for this suffering in Iraq, in this region, to end?  Without this dialogue?

BASHAR ASSAD: No.

CURRY: Is there any hope for this to end this war in Iraq?

BASHAR ASSAD: Mainly no.  I wouldn’t say 100 percent no.  Maybe there’s a small window of hope that they learn the lesson.  But if they don’t have cooperation with Syria, we’re going to help Iraq anyway.  We are going to help Iraq, of course, again, for our interests.

But there’s small window of hope (for) cooperation.  Maybe after the meeting between Rice and our minister.  There’s small window of hope.  But I wouldn't say large window.

CURRY: What specifically was discussed in this meeting that gives a window of hope?

BASHAR ASSAD: Now, the meeting itself gives the window of help because they always used to say “we’re not going to talk to Syria.  We’re not going to talk to this region.”  And they—and they talked.  This is small window.  But the content of that meeting wasn’t something—again, as I mentioned—

CURRY: Significant.

BASHAR ASSAD: --significant.  It—it wasn’t breakthrough because she only talked about the borders.  And from our point of view, borders is a trigger issue.  It’s not the reason of what’s going on in Iraq.

She didn’t talk about the real problem in Iraqi political parties.  The cooperation of the (UNINTEL) bilateral (UNINTEL) and the rest of it.  She didn’t talk about peace, for example, which is very important for Syria, this process.

CURRY: The US and Israel accuse your government of supporting anti-Israeli groups, include Hezbollah, Hamas, and Islamic jihad.  How can you do this and still say you want peace with Israel?

BASHAR ASSAD: Usually we don’t support organizations or person (UNINTEL).  We support (UNINTEL) Hamas and Hezbollah, they have—they own (UNINTEL).  And they have the support of the Lebanese, Palestinian, the Syrian people and the rest of the other people (UNINTEL) most of the people in—in (UNINTEL)-- region.  So they could accuse all those (UNINTEL) million or more than million—billion, sorry—people they are terrorists and they support terror?

We have (UNINTEL) see from different ways.  What about the killing of the Palestinians every day by the Israeli Army?  Isn’t (UNINTEL)?  Why to have this double standard?  Why—to talk about—terrorists who are killing the Iraqis or to label them a terrorist and the people who are killing Palestinians and Lebanese like what happened last summer during the war (UNINTEL), not to accuse them as terrorists?  It’s the same action.  Killing innocent life.  So—

CURRY: Israel’s argument to that it is responding to a—an aggression from Hezbollah.

BASHAR ASSAD: Yeah, but—

CURRY: That it wasn’t the same—

BASHAR ASSAD: But Hezbollah was created on the day which—of Israeli occupation.  They’re the same.  The—the—the egg and the chicken.  But we know that who came first.  Who were the one were attacked, who occupied (UNINTEL) Israel?  Lebanese never attacked or occupied Israeli (UNINTEL).  It’s (UNINTEL).

CURRY: There are reports that meetings are under way between Israel and Syria—

BASHAR ASSAD: Uh-huh (AFFIRM).

CURRY: to move you closer towards peace.

BASHAR ASSAD: Yeah.

CURRY: Are you any closer?  Are these meetings going on?  Can you confirm?

BASHAR ASSAD: No.  Because we need—not (UNINTEL) that you don’t have.  First (UNINTEL) partner.  We don’t have partner in the Israeli government regime-- (UNINTEL) government.  When you’re (UNINTEL) strong leadership.

We don’t have—impartial arbiter, unfortunately, which the United States and, as you know this administration, doesn’t have—the will or the vision toward peace.  So this (UNINTEL).  The only requirement that we have is the will in Syria’s government and its people and we have, as government or as state, the support of the Syrian people to the government to—to work towards—the peace.

This is the only requirement that we have.  So we are not any closer.  And more wars and killing, especially after the war in Lebanon, the invasion of Iraq, the situation in Iraq, I think we’re on much far from peace than before. The more blood you have, the more difficult to resume the peace process that’s going to be.

CURRY: You were saying just a moment ago you’re not any closer.  And that there is this sense that you have so much blood that’s so difficult to dissolve.  So Israel says Hezbollah is rearming, that there is an increasing chance of yet another war as early as this summer.  Are you rearming Hezbollah?

BASHAR ASSAD: No, no.

CURRY: Are you helping funnel arms through Syria to Hezbollah?

BASHAR ASSAD: As I said, if they talk about borders, they’re smuggling everything in all the—all directions in Syria and other countries.  But—talking about (UNINTEL) Israeli (UNINTEL) Israeli allegation.  And we—talked with many Western (UNINTEL) about this.

And said when they have the proof they have to bring it.  How, according to or based on what (UNINTEL) based on what?  This is the second-- (UNINTEL) supporter.  And their government—that doesn’t have good relation with Syria.  They do all their best to prove that Syria has rearmed Hezbollah.

They have their own intelligence, have their own police, and (UNINTEL) on the border.  And the border (UNINTEL).  They can control it very easy.  It’s complicated ‘cause it has high mountains.  But they can control it.  So if there’s smuggling, if—if they know, first of all, how they know?  Second, why didn’t they—catch the smugglers and bring the evidence?

CURRY: They might argue the same argument that you have about Iraqi insurgents.  It’s true also for Syria and Lebanon that they cannot control their borders.  But—but they—but they—but there is this idea that—that a war is coming.  Do you have any information and intelligence that another war is coming between Hezbollah and Israel?

BASHAR ASSAD: No, only through the media.  And I (UNINTEL) Hezbollah is going to launch—

CURRY: No, that the— --a war.  I don’t know who’s going to launch what but that there’s going to be another war.

BASHAR ASSAD: No.  What I read in maybe in our media that—they (UNINTEL) Israeli—war.  We don’t have any evidence but because Israel launched war in—in 2006 (UNINTEL) launched another war in 1996.  So we always expect Israel to launch war.  But we don’t know when. We don’t have any evidence.

CURRY: There is a report in the Israeli newspapers that Syria has underground bunker systems with missiles for firing missiles.

BASHAR ASSAD: We have—we have (UNINTEL) very military—question.  So I don’t usually answer it.  But we have the right like any other country to take defensive procedure on the (UNINTEL).  But we have the right, as in every country, to prepare ourselves for any (UNINTEL).  And we have (UNINTEL) to protect our country.

CURRY: Are you preparing for something?

BASHAR ASSAD: Always because we have occupied land.  And we consider Israel (NOISE) aggressive country (UNINTEL) launch an assault against Syria.  So this is normal.

CURRY: Lebanese officials and international investigators have accused your government, including some close to (UNINTEL) assassinating the former Lebanese prime minister (UNINTEL).  If you and your government are innocent, then why aren’t you angry about being falsely accused?

BASHAR ASSAD: We always feel angry.

CURRY: Are you angry?

BASHAR ASSAD: No, we’re not angry.  But you don’t feel happy at least if somebody said something which is wrong about you.

CURRY: But people don’t all believe that it’s wrong.  No matter what you say, people still believe that you should be under suspicion, that your government should be under suspicion.

BASHAR ASSAD: As government, as a state, as politician, we (UNINTEL PHRASE) evidence.  We don’t deal with the belief anyone has the right to believe in everything.  People in the region (UNINTEL) people in—in Syria (UNINTEL) other country, they believe that Israel (UNINTEL).  They have the right to believe.  But (UNINTEL) as politician (UNINTEL) where is the evidence?  I cannot talk about (UNINTEL).

CURRY: The UN tribunal is gathering evidence.  And it may call members of your government.  You have said that you would not let them go before the UN tribunal.  You would help your credibility on this (UNINTEL) if you said, “Yes.  Let’s look at the evidence.”  Why not?

BASHAR ASSAD: No, we—we cooperated with the international investigation committee.  And we’re still cooperating.  And their report—in (UNINTEL) report they mentioned that cooperation with Syria was satisfactory.  We were always on time.  We never hesitated to cooperate with them fully.  But we have interests to—to know the truth about the assassination.  That will change the mind of the people who believe that Syria—did this horrible crime.  But cooperation with the tribunal is different.  It’s a matter of—of sovereignty.  This tribunal is going to be—

BASHAR ASSAD: This tribunal is going to be called—according to agreement between the Lebanese government and the United Nations.  Syria has nothing to do with it.  If—if it’s a matter of cooperation, of course—of course we are going to cooperate.  But any Syrian person is within the purview of the Syrian law and the Syrian judicial—judicial system.  We do not hand him over to any other judicial system no matter what the (UNINTEL) or—the reason.  If they have any evidence, any concrete—evidence—to have it, to have it over to Syria.  And it’s going to—to be prosecuted in Syria.

CURRY: You would prosecute them to the full extent of the law.  What would that mean?  What would be the punishment you think is justified for participating in the assassination of the Lebanese prime minister?

BASHAR ASSAD: If anyone is complicit in this crime, according to our law, considered as a traitor.  And a traitor under Syrian law—faces the highest punishment in our law.  I cannot tell what it is called.  You know, there’s a—margin for the judge to say. 

CURRY: But one of those—and one—

BASHAR ASSAD: Would be—could be for life.

CURRY: One of the—one of the possibilities is you’re—you’re saying that this person could face life in prison? Death? Is death a possibility?  Is the death penalty a possibility?

BASHAR ASSAD: The death—the death penalty is included in our law.  We didn’t—get rid of it.  It could be.  But I’m not a specialist—

CURRY: Judge.

BASHAR ASSAD: --to tell you what it is.  But I could say simply the highest punishment.  Yes.

CURRY: So you call it a horrible crime.

BASHAR ASSAD:       Yeah.

CURRY: No.  But this particular crime, the killing of a prime minister.

BASHAR ASSAD: Yeah.

CURRY: Even a president, an assassination.  What else would you say about what happened to Mr. (UNINTEL) besides saying it was a horrible crime?

BASHAR ASSAD: I don’t know what—more (UNINTEL) than the word “horrible.”  (UNINTEL).  This would be—the best word that can express our feeling (UNINTEL).

CURRY: So here’s the thing I notice about you.  You are a man of destiny.  You did not mean to become president.  You were to be an eye surgeon.

BASHAR ASSAD: Yeah.

CURRY: And then tragedies in your family thrust you in this position.  The death of your brother, the death of your father.

BASHAR ASSAD: Uh-huh (AFFIRM).

CURRY: So when you asked yourself what destiny wants from you, what is the answer you hear?

BASHAR ASSAD:              Before I became president?

CURRY:              To now as president, what does destiny want from you as president?  It forced you to become president.  This is not something you chose.  When destiny asks you—when you ask destiny what it wants from you.

BASHAR ASSAD: You mean for myself?  Because as president, I—I don’t work for myself.  I work for my country.

CURRY: Yes.

BASHAR ASSAD:              And—normally I work for the prosperity of this country.  Of course, when I achieve—when I—when I—when I success in doing so—I will be working for myself as a—as a Syrian—as a president and for my—political future.  But (UNINTEL) prosperity.  Prosperity in very general way has many aspects—that—which is the priority?

The priority is according to what the most urgent for the people.  And what can you—what can you (UNINTEL) for awaiting your advancement a faster.  This is how to put the priority.  The priority of our people, the last—for the last few years and for the last few decades is to be (UNINTEL) situation.

We are poor country.  We have a lot of poverty in our region.  And the second—aspect is the political process, the political reform.  After the war in Iraq and after having more people in Syria for the last few years, priority number one as part of this prosperity is to become the security.  And second and third, the political reform because the first to ask when you wake up today, “Are we going to be safe today or not?”

The second question, “What are you going to eat?”  What are your children going to eat?  What food are they going to give them?  What they are going to learn and what their future, what their health going to be?  The third is political, the fourth... So the priority is changing according to the political reality in our region.  So this is how I see my future, my problem and the challenges that I have to face in the future.

CURRY: Well, let me put it this way then.  History remembers greatness in leaders.

BASHAR ASSAD: Yeah.

CURRY: Anwar Sadat (PH) was remembered—is remembered as a great leader.  What do you wish history to say of you as a president of Syria?  What will be your contribution, what you want to be proud of in the end?

BASHAR ASSAD: The most important thing is that trust of the Syrian people, even in the future.  That our work and I did my best—for my country.  And this best is limited, again, by the reality.  And where you do your best, where you couldn’t do what you can do, what you—what you ever to do your best that you didn’t (UNINTEL).

What means you have what obstacles you have to—to (UNINTEL).  But most important thing that you are very (UNINTEL).  And this is very important in our culture, to be fair.  Even if you don’t (UNINTEL) or even if you’re—it was totally wrong.  But if you (UNINTEL) forgive you and we keep remembering you as a good person.

CURRY: Faithful.

BASHAR ASSAD: Faithful.

CURRY: Faithful in what?

BASHAR ASSAD: In the national meaning.

CURRY: In the national meaning?

BASHAR ASSAD: Yeah, in the—

CURRY: Faith in the nation.

BASHAR ASSAD: Faith—no, I mean, the people—I would say to—

CURRY: To them.

BASHAR ASSAD: To them.

CURRY: You were faithful to the Syrian people.  You wanna be remembered for being faithful to the Syrian people, which means that you cared for them and you took care of their issues.

BASHAR ASSAD: Yeah, that’s in general.  Again, when you want to talk about caring them—for them (UNINTEL) tradition, moods—customs.

CURRY:      But in the end, every—every—

BASHAR ASSAD: And—and (UNINTEL).

CURRY: But every leader wants to do a good job in taking care of the needs of their people, every (UNINTEL).

BASHAR ASSAD: Yeah, but—

CURRY: What will be said of you?  What is it that you want to do?  Your father wanted stability for Syria.

BASHAR ASSAD: Yes.

CURRY: That is how he will be remembered, doing everything possible to create stability in Syria.

BASHAR ASSAD: Yes.  Because we have stability, I couldn’t say that I’m going to bring stability to Syria.  But—

CURRY: But what are you going to—but what is it that you want?

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