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Transcript of CNN's Evans and Novak
September 28, 1996
Web posted at: 12:45 p.m. EDT (1645 GMT)Interview with Syrian President Hafez Assad
ROLAND EVANS: Mr. President, let me start off. Are talks with Israel possible if Prime Minister Netanyahu refuses to honor the late Prime Minister Rabin's agreement to withdraw from the Golan Heights in exchange for a comprehensive peace?
HAFEZ ASSAD: As you know, the peace process started after agreement on the bases of this process. Arabs, Israelis and the United States of America participated in establishing and consolidating those bases.
Subsequently, we formalized what may be called the terms of reference of Madrid. These terms of reference consist of the American initiative, the core of which is the principle of land for peace and U.N. Security Council resolutions 242 and 338.
In addition, there were annexes to this initiative which were agreed upon following arguments which lasted a long time among the USA and the Arab and Israeli parties. As a result of that debate, the annexes were adopted, put into effect, and considered to have a significant role in what we may call the criteria of the peace process, and they helped in launching the peace process.
On the basis of these terms of reference and the annexes, activities and talks between the Arab and Israeli delegations began, first in Madrid and then in Washington and other places in the United States, but mainly in Washington.
Those talks were not easy. They required great efforts from the Arab and Israeli parties and the United States. (OFF- MIKE) was made and achievements accomplished which became commitments by the parties and rights for them.
Within the framework of those commitments, agreement was reached between Syria and Israel on Israeli withdrawal from the Golan up to June 4, 1967 lines. After that we moved to complete discussion of the other elements of peace. And all that took place under the supervision and with the knowledge of the United States.
It goes without saying that the present Israeli government has to abide by an agreement reached by the former Israeli government, which was a legitimate government and so, by all considerations, it represented Israel.
Then came the recent developments in Israel and the change of the Israeli government.
Once the results of the Israeli elections were announced, the new Israeli prime minister appeared to be obliterating all those principles and eliminating all efforts, commitments, and rights. And so he canceled the peace process entirely.
It is different for anybody to determine what kind of changes will take place, because people in their pursuit to regain their rights are not necessarily oriented towards adopting a single method of action.
EVANS: Mr. President, there is some concern, a lot of concern, in my country, the United States of America, about Syria being a haven home for some terrorist units that operate, of course, outside your country. Wouldn't it be the time, sir, to break these contracts entirely and make a new approach to the U.S. government on this issue of terrorism, which is of so much concern to the American people?
ASSAD: The people who are meant by this question are hundreds of thousand living in Syria. They have been displaced from their homeland since 1948, and others since 1967. They came to the Arab countries neighboring Palestine where (AUDIO GAP) ...a homeland, to feel that they are a people like the rest of the peoples of the world.
They have not come here by their own free will, rather they were forcibly made to leave their home. So, are Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan -- the countries in which the majority of these people are found -- required to throw them into the sea?
On the other hand, are these displaced persons expected not to be homesick? Are the expected not to feel like other peoples whose countries are not occupied, dignity and freedom in their own lands?
Can the United States or any other country in the world blame these people if they struggle for the values upheld by people of the world, including Americans?
The U.S. sometimes takes measures against certain people under the banner of peoples freedom and human rights. How can one talk about human rights in a certain country and at the time consider those who have been displaced from their country decades ago and now struggle to return to their homes, as terrorists or criminals?
Nevertheless, those who are now in Syria do not commit any act of violence from inside Syria.
If there are such acts, they are inside Palestine and not in Syria. And those who carry them out inside Palestinian territory are not those who live in Syria.
These people deserve to be called freedom fighters. They are not terrorists.
EVANS: Sir, I want to read a quote to you to emphasize my point in my last question about the attitude in America about these groups that you've just described.
The Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich said this 10 days ago:
"Syria actively sustained war against its neighbors by terrorism is behaving in a despicable manner an should be isolated, not negotiated with."
What is your response, sir, to the speaker of the House?
ASSAD: There are people in the United States who understand us very well and understand the situation in the region. We consider them as friends, although many of them are not known to us.
Those who are on the side of truth and knowingly maintain their position are considered as our friends.
The others who may be our opponents could be either of two: one who is completely biased for various considerations which need not be elaborated, the other is ignorant of the real state of affairs in this region.
It is our hope that they work hard in seeking the truth in this region, so that their words might be consistent with this truth.
EVANS: Mr. President, you have met the President of the United States, Bill Clinton, twice at least -- once here and once, I believe, in Geneva. Do you consider the way he is exerting the influence of the world's only superpower in attempting to resolve the different issues between you and Israel, and the Middle East problem, is adequate and meets the tasks that the U.S. has assigned for itself?
ASSAD: I want to say that the United States has exerted great efforts during this period, and the President of the United States in efforts, and (OFF-MIKE) were personal in addition to the efforts exerted by his aides under his supervision.
Of course, without the efforts of the United States, the peace process could not have been launched; neither would it have made any progress or accomplished any achievement.
The role of the United States is very important. As I have just said, this role has really led to progress and achievement. However, the progress and achievement are, at present, stumbling. We know this is an election year in the U.S., and these elections absorb the efforts and time of many people -- in particular the candidates and the thousands of their supporters.
Despite the atmosphere of the elections, the efforts of the American administration in contacting the parties and in offering and discussing proposals have not been interrupted. But naturally, these efforts are less than they were before the present election atmosphere.
EVANS: Sir, very briefly, would you consider an invitation to meet the president in the White House (OFF-MIKE)? Would you accept an invitation from him to come to America? Very briefly.
ASSAD: Neither me nor you have the right to speculate on what the President of the United States might think. Such matters have to be discussed in proper time. I do not want to give an opinion on the basis of a hypothesis.
EVANS: On a different question, Mr. President, do you approve the American attack on anti-aircraft positions in Iraq two weeks ago?
ASSAD: I do not want to discuss a matter of the past. But I hope -- rather, assert -- the importance that the bombing would not be repeated because this creates uneasy atmospheres in the region, especially that people in this region are generally supportive of, and committed to, the Security Council resolutions which were adopted after the so-called second Gulf War, or the Kuwait-Iraq war. They are all committed, including Iraq and Kuwait.
EVANS: Mr. President, hypothetically, Turkey has been making noises that she could cut the supply of water to your country. Are you concerned about what Turkey may do to cut all, or reduce, your water? And what is your possible response?
ASSAD: I do not think that Turkey will cut the water. I do not remember a case in history where waters of international rivers were cut. Moreover, international law prohibits such an action. And peoples generally do not receive the cutting of water with satisfaction. International law considers the states that share rivers, or one river, as partners in the waters of this or these rivers.
There are laws and agreements that prohibit the cutting of water. And the positions of peoples, whether harmed or unharmed, prohibit this, too.
Syria will cling fast to her rights with all available means.
EVANS: Do you suspect Israel's hand in any way has been part of this remote possibility that there should be a change in the amount of water that comes from Turkey? Do you see Israel's hand at all in the back of that?
ASSAD: Turkey will not cut the water to Syria. There are differences on the sharing of the water. Our aim is not to leave for the future and for the coming generations enmity which would cause harm to the countries sharing rivers in one region.
I have no doubt that Israel has played and is still playing a role in instigating certain Turks in directions which serve neither the interest of Turkey, nor Syria, and do not serve the interest of stability in the region.
There are things which are well known. Wide sectors in Turkey, by virtue of ancient relations and religion, do not welcome negative development in the relations between Syria, Iraq and the rest of the Arab countries on one hand and Turkey on the other.
I believe it is neither in the interest of Turkey to cause harm to Syria, nor is it in the interest of Syria to cause harm to Turkey.
EVANS: So, you would agree that the military agreements that have been signed between Turkey and Israel during the last few weeks pose somewhat of a threat to Syria?
ASSAD: We believe so.
EVANS: So, you agree to this opinion?
ASSAD: Naturally the Israeli side wants to do harm to Syria. but I think there are in Turkey some people who interpret the agreement as not harmful to Syria, and say there is no intention of doing harm to Syria or any other country. There are others who keep silent, and still others who support the agreement.
EVANS: Mr. President, we are drawing to the end of this interview. Do you agree with President Clinton who said the other day that Iran has no place in the family of nations today? Do you agree to that?
ASSAD: I am aware of how the United States views Iran. Americans accuse Iran of terrorism. But Iran denies this, and says that nobody is able to provide evidence of its involvement in terrorism, and she declares that she condemns terrorism.
You know that Iran's relations with Syria are very old, so are Iran's relations with a big number of other countries of the world.
EVANS: Thank you, Mr. President, for your patience and for being with us.
ASSAD: Thank you.
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