Bashar al-Assad
Bashar al-Assad
Bashar Hafez al-AssadLevantine pronunciation: ; born 11 September 1965) is the President of Syria, commander-in-chief of the Syrian Armed Forces, General Secretary of the ruling Ba'ath Party and Regional Secretary of the party's branch in Syria. On 10 July 2000, he was elected president succeeding Hafez al-Assad, his father, who had led Syria for 30 years and died in office a month prior. In both the Syrian presidential election, 2000 and subsequent 2007 election, Bashar Assad received votes in his...
NationalitySyrian
ProfessionPolitician
Date of Birth11 September 1965
CityDamascus, Syria
CountrySyrian Arab Republic
You have to be very closely linked to the beliefs of the people. This is the core issue. When there is divergence between your policy and the people's beliefs and interests, you will have this vacuum that creates disturbance.
If you want to be transparent with your people, do not do anything cosmetic, whether to deceive your people or to get some applaud from the West.
Reform has to be based on opening your mind and opening the mind does not come from decrees or laws. It comes from a whole set of circumstances, which if you do not have, anything you do will be not productive or will be counter-productive.
A bomb is a bomb, what's the difference between different kinds of bombs? All bombs are to kill, but it's about how to use it.
You cannot have democracy without the institutions. You cannot have a democracy that is built on the moods of self-interested people.
Even a president makes mistakes.
Personally, I do not support the concept of suicide bombings. This is not part of our [syrian] culture. But whether you condemn them or not, suicide bombings are a reality.
When you have terrorists, you don't throw at them balloons or you don't use rubber sticks, for example. You have to use armaments.
Hamas will not disappear. Hamas will not raise the white flag. Hamas has the trust of the people, and anyone who wishes to destroy it must destroy an entire people.
Terrorism is a state of mind that on the one hand has to do with ignorance and, on the other hand, can be attributed to a feeling of desperation over the political situation, which at some point takes the form of revenge.
Freedom and democracy are nothing but instruments, just like stability. The goal is called progress and growth. Anyone who puts freedom ahead of stability is hurting growth.
The logical thing is to implement the Arab Defense Agreement.
Almost all countries have natural dividing lines, and when ethnic and religious partition occurs in one country, it'll soon happen elsewhere.
We believe that Lebanon has been the first real experience for all the Arabs.