Hafez al-Assad

“ We gave ammunition, brothers, in order to stop the fighting. At one time, the balance of forces was not equal and fighting could not have stopped. This is why we were compelled to give weapons and ammunition. We gave weapons to those who are attacking us and denying our efforts and sacrifices-those who denied and are denying the past and present efforts and sacrifices of this people, although these efforts and stands are clear like the sun and are known, remembered and realized by every child not only in Syria but also in most countries of the Arab homeland. ”

“ The partitioning of Lebanon would acquit Israel of the charge of racism. The partitioning of Lebanon would constitute a stab at the idea of Arab unity and would look as if we are giving proof that Arab nationalism is not the appropriate tie linking all of us in a manner that enables us to live under the banner of Arab nationalism. [applause] When the Arabs in Lebanon fail to live together in one state, despite the long years they have lived together, it would be the practical and material proof they want to prove that the idea of Arab nationalism is invalid. ”

“ We will not move without conviction. We will not compromise our principles and objectives. We will not adopt any decisions without giving due consideration to our national and pan-Arab interests. [applause] Syria is the land of steadfastness. Whoever supports steadfastness must support Syria. Syria is the land of liberation. Whoever supports liberation must support Syria. Syria is the land of nationalism and progress. Whoever supports nationalism and progress must support Syria. Syria is the land of Palestinian struggle. Whoever supports the Palestinian struggle must support Syria. ”

“ Brother citizens and brother members of the local administration councils: I am very happy to meet with you today after the completion of the local administration's elections. You have won the confidence of the people when they elected you as their representatives in these councils. The precious confidence of the people which you have gained is the most precious thing you could obtain. The precious confidence of the people which you won is the most precious thing you must preserve because this confidence is a continuous source of power, action and inspiration. ”

“ Of course, if I am going to proceed from the fact that I am a Moslem, I must be against this trend, because Islam is love and justice and not hatred and animosity. Islam is for Justice for all and against injustice to anyone. Islam has prohibited vengeance and revenge. If I am a true Moslem--and I am a Moslem, with God's help--I have to be against this trend. [applause]
If I were to proceed from the fact that I am a revolutionary, the matter is the same. A revolution is justice for all. A revolution is against all kinds of injustice. ”

“ As they were in such a situation--our soldiers with the compatriots in Sidon, with the women and children--the- gunmen of the organizations poured fire on our soldiers and the children and women as well on the vehicles, killing whoever they could and destroying whatever they could. These are facts, brothers, examples of actions which this people must be aware of so that they may know who the people are who are now disavowing every value and every effort and sacrifice this people and the heroic Army of Syria have made. ”

“ It is obvious that this is not possible. It is obvious that Syria does not move without conviction. It is obvious that nobody can drag Syria into a position it does not want. This must be clear everywhere. ”

“ You have heard, I believe, those who say that Syria is plotting with the United States in Lebanon. They say it is an American-Syrian plot. I can very clearly, frankly, proudly and confidently say that if Syria agreed to the U.S. plans in the area or even if Syria adopted a neutral stand in these plans, they would have faced no problems in the Arab area. [applause] Our stand on Lebanon and the Lebanese problem or issue is as firm and principled as it is on the Palestinian question. We will be neither courteous nor will we bargain. ”

“ To say that we are demanding a democratic state in which Moslems, Christians, and Jews can live, whether they are Arabs or not, is a question which can be reasoned about. But when Lebanon is partitioned, the Israelis will say we do not believe these Arabs: If they could not coexist together, if the Moslem Arab could not coexist with the Christian Arab, how then can they coexist with the Jews and the non-Arab Jews who came from all parts of the world, from the West and the East. ”

“ The world would sympathize with the problem because the world always sympathizes with the oppressed. This is the first result that would ensue from decisive military action as they want it--if they can achieve it. ”

“ Why is Syria involved in Lebanon's events? First, one of the objectives of the plot is to strike at an issue which is the issue of every citizen in this country. If the conspiracy has the aims I spoke about, including striking at the Palestinian resistance and partitioning Lebanon, how can Syria stand by as a spectator to a plot aimed at achieving these objectives?
We are concerned about this conspiracy. We must prepare ourselves as much as we can to repulse the conspiracy and the conspirators. The matter concerns us and there is no escape from the confrontation. ”

“ The fighting stopped after Dean Brown's arrival in Beirut. Certainly, as an Arab, I thank any person in the world who can stop the firing in Lebanon. What is important is for the tragedy and the conspiracy to end. However, it is surprising that the firing was suspended only after Dean Brown's arrival. By these words I would like to say that if the United States wants to stop the firing and seeks to end it, we welcome this. If any foreign or Arab state is seeking to stop the firing and can end it, we welcome this. ”

“ Regarding Israel, as I said a while ago--of course this is further to my talk with him--we, as I said a while ago, believe that the problem in Lebanon is connected with the Arab nation and therefore, is an internal Arab problem. Israel, even in the event of its being a state with an old history in the area--that is if we make such a supposition, which is absurd--Israel has no right to interfere in the internal affairs of the Arab nation. Israel is a foreign presence as far as Lebanon, Syria, Egypt and Jordan are concerned. ”

“ Whether Lebanon is united or fragmented, it does not constitute a military problem for Israel at present and is not expected to constitute a military problem in the foreseeable future, as far as Israel is concerned. Israel is not seeking to partition Lebanon because it constitutes a military burden. Israel wants the partitioning of Lebanon for a political, ideological reason. If is only natural that Israel wishes the establishment of sectarian statelets in this area so that Israel can remain the stronger state. ”

“ We have brothers from Lebanon in our midst, and they are aware how much harm has been done to those soldiers, some of whom have been killed and some have been arrested. Everybody is aware that those soldiers have had nothing to do with all that has happened. The fighting is taking place in Beirut among the factions but the eyes of these soldiers are watching the Israeli Air Force to fight it should it attack the Palestinian camps. ”

“ Naturally, all of us realize--all of you, realize--that we could easily counter such actions with decisive and crushing measures. We could have destroyed whatever we liked and purged every place of those persons, killed whomever we could and whomever we wanted, but we did not do so. ”

“ There were provisions on equality for all, the establishment of a constitutional court, economic and social reforms, the Arabism of Lebanon, giving citizenship, canceling religious sectarianism and many other things which, as we know, were part of the problems in the past. But there are people who want to keep these problems because they thrived on them. Some of' the armed people in Lebanon today are against security. If security is achieved, they will be out of work. ”

“ Brothers, we meet today at a time when the incidents taking place in Lebanon occupy a great deal of our interest as well as the interest of the area and the world, because the incidents taking place in Lebanon--as much as Lebanon means, in its positive and negative aspects--concern us and concern our Arab nation. ”

“ The offenses they have committed against Syria through their offenses against the Syrian soldiers have not been committed by anyone else. They have offended not just the soldiers who were present in Beirut airport. In the camps there are brothers. Three years ago we sent our soldiers to defend the Palestinian camps in Lebanon. We sent materiel with the Syrian soldiers 3 years ago to defend the Palestinian camps in Beirut, in the south and in Tripoli--these soldiers, who have been living in the camps for 3 years now, have been gravely harmed. ”

“ He removes injustice from himself and from others. This is a revolutionary. This is a Moslem. The true Moslem is the true revolutionary. Islam is the greatest revolution in the history of our Arab nation and of humanity. [applause]
Brothers, Kamal Junblatt emerged from this meeting and left me with the impression that he insisted on fighting. I told him: Do not count on any help. We cannot march with you on a path which we both agree upon in advance is the path of the conspiracy. On the next day, rather on the same day, I invited Yasir 'Arafat. ”

“ We in the United States are concerned that Syria might get the impression that the absence of an open Israeli reaction means lack of Israeli concern regarding the Syrian actions, contrary to what we constantly communicated to Damascus during the past weeks--that is to say, this matter is not just a question of a communication which took them 1 hour to convey to us--contrary to what we constantly communicated to Damascus during the past weeks. ”

“ As if Syria has to extend aid to whoever wishes it, to offer arms, ammunition, and even soldiers to whoever asks for them, irrespective of its national interests and irrespective of our national objectives and aspirations as well as our opinion about national interests. Syria is against the firing yet they expect us to offer them arms so that they will continue the firing. Syria believes that the path being followed is the one of conspiracy ”

“ On our position on Lebanon. we proceed from the fact that we are the sons of a single Arab nation. What prompts us to show serious concern toward what is happening in Lebanon is our anxiety over the tragedies there. We are concerned about all Lebanese--Christians and Moslems--because they are the sons of our Arab nation and come under the flag of Arab nationalism. ”

“ Furthermore, I want to say that the partitioning of Lebanon is a big blow to Islam, the religion of the sweeping majority of the Arab nation, because they want to present Islam as a rigid religion which prevents its followers from living with others, even if they are the sons of the same people. ”

“ You undoubtedly were aware of the size of the responsibility which will be placed on your shoulders when you were struggling to win the people's confidence and were also optimistic and confident that you would achieve success when you shouldered this responsibility.
This will make you happy because your success in your duties will produce good results for all the citizens who placed their confidence in you. All of us constitute a part of these citizens. ”

“ What exists is that the United States is playing a role in the fighting in Lebanon for other political reasons, primarily to help the Sinai agreement.
All in the area have the impression that the United States does not care for matters of religion in the world. ”

“ This slogan will then fall. Israel wants partition to acquit itself of the charge of racism. The United Nations adopted a resolution saying that Zionism is a racist movement, and this is a great victory for the Palestine issue and the Arab struggle. Why is Zionism a racist movement? Because it gathers people from everywhere, with religion the only link among them, to make a people out of them and to establish a state for these people. When Lebanon is partitioned between Christians and Moslems, Israel will say: Where is racism? ”

“ Brothers, we must contemplate what we can do everywhere and in every city and village. We must think how to provide the essential and necessary capacities to complete what we intend to do. We must exploit the resources--all human, economic and financial resources--to the maximum. ”

“ Any time it sees the circumstances opportune to expand and commit aggression, it will expand and commit aggression. This is what experience has confirmed ever since Israel was established. In our position regarding the events in Lebanon, we will in no way take into consideration what Israel might do. We will perform our duties toward Lebanon fully at all times, and we will do everything in our power to halt the fighting because it is a fight among factions of our kinsmen and family. ”

“ The Moslems in Lebanon are the ones who do not want secularization and not vice versa, because the matter deals with the essence of Islam. The Phalangists cling to secularization and Kamal Junblatt clings to secularization. ”

“ I do not want to say, I will not accept and I do not want to persuade anybody that there is any justification for any failure. We must be up to a standard of vitality, ability and efficiency enabling us to effectively respond to our external and domestic concerns at the same time. ”

“ The rights of and guarantees for the resistance are no longer a problem. The national reforms, inasmuch as Lebanon's circumstances permit, are no longer a problem. The question of the presidency--the resignation of the president--is no longer a problem. ”

“ We must couple this optimism faith continuous action to realize greater success in the next stage of the local administration. The resources of our country are boundless but most of them are latent. You must search for them and set them to work so that we may benefit from them everywhere and in every field. ”

“ Despite this, we continued to halt the [Syrian] forces. We continued to halt the forces and gave orders to the soldiers that they should only defend themselves and that, in their own defense, their action should be most limited. Bothers, they were infantry soldiers who have no artillery, tanks or any means of support that are usually found in army formations. We did not give them support at all. Despite the presence of the Syrian Air Force over Beirut, we did not permit the air force to fire a single shot either in Beirut or in any part of Lebanon. ”