With his unconvincing ABC interview, Assad loses support at home
by JPG
Syrian TV will broadcast the president’s full interview today (in translation), but Syria’s Foreign Ministry voiced criticism about it yesterday. Assad denies UN figures about the death toll caused by the unrest. He denies that he is in command of Syria’s armed forces. He also denies that most of the dead are from the ranks of the opposition. Next Monday’s local elections could see a lower voter turnout.
Damascus (AsiaNews) – "This is theatre we are sentenced to watch,” a Syrian lawyer told us. As someone ‘apolitical’, neither for the regime nor for the opposition, he was referring to President Bashar Al-Assad’s interview with US-based ABC News, which was broadcast yesterday morning (in the Middle East).
Next Monday, 12 December, our lawyer will not vote in his village, just outside of the capital, in local elections. Organised by the regime despite a weak attempt by the People’s Council (Syria unicameral parliament) to ask for a postponement, they are the first test since demonstrations began on 15 March.
The president’s interview has run afoul of the regime’s usual policy of counter-information. Yesterday afternoon, Foreign Ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi criticised his counterpart at the US State Department, Mark Toner, calling his comments “inaccurate”, “unprofessional" and "abnormal."
Except for a couple of phrases, Syrian TV viewers have not heard anything of what the president said. Only in the evening (9.30 pm in English and 10.30 pm in Arabic), did SANA, Syria’s state news agency, release a summary of the president’s statement.
Foreign Ministry sources later said that the full interview would be broadcast today in Arabic translation, perhaps during the 2.30 pm newscast.
Since many Syrians, especially young people, know English, they were able to watch and hear Assad’s own words on the internet. Perhaps for the first time, ‘apolitical’ Syrians were not convinced by him, unable to determine if some of the president’s claims were a sign of his ignorance because for them it is hard to believe that a head of state might lie.
For instance, Assad told ABC that most of the dead were his supporters and not opposition members, but everyone knows that is not true.
Similarly, it is hard for ‘apolitical’ Syrians to understand how the president can claim that the armed forces “are not my forces,” when as president, he also serves as commander of Syria's armed forces.
‘Apolitical’ Syrians were equally stunned to hear Assad say, “We don't kill our people... no government in the world kills its people, unless it's led by a crazy person."
They also cannot understand how the president could dismiss United Nations figures about people killed when he stated, "Who said that the United Nations is a credible institution?"
Next Monday, Syrians go to the poll in local elections. The campaign has been underway without much fanfare. The turnout will be very significant because it will show the degree of disaffection and support for the regime, unless, that is, results are not rigged.
Next Monday, 12 December, our lawyer will not vote in his village, just outside of the capital, in local elections. Organised by the regime despite a weak attempt by the People’s Council (Syria unicameral parliament) to ask for a postponement, they are the first test since demonstrations began on 15 March.
The president’s interview has run afoul of the regime’s usual policy of counter-information. Yesterday afternoon, Foreign Ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi criticised his counterpart at the US State Department, Mark Toner, calling his comments “inaccurate”, “unprofessional" and "abnormal."
Except for a couple of phrases, Syrian TV viewers have not heard anything of what the president said. Only in the evening (9.30 pm in English and 10.30 pm in Arabic), did SANA, Syria’s state news agency, release a summary of the president’s statement.
Foreign Ministry sources later said that the full interview would be broadcast today in Arabic translation, perhaps during the 2.30 pm newscast.
Since many Syrians, especially young people, know English, they were able to watch and hear Assad’s own words on the internet. Perhaps for the first time, ‘apolitical’ Syrians were not convinced by him, unable to determine if some of the president’s claims were a sign of his ignorance because for them it is hard to believe that a head of state might lie.
For instance, Assad told ABC that most of the dead were his supporters and not opposition members, but everyone knows that is not true.
Similarly, it is hard for ‘apolitical’ Syrians to understand how the president can claim that the armed forces “are not my forces,” when as president, he also serves as commander of Syria's armed forces.
‘Apolitical’ Syrians were equally stunned to hear Assad say, “We don't kill our people... no government in the world kills its people, unless it's led by a crazy person."
They also cannot understand how the president could dismiss United Nations figures about people killed when he stated, "Who said that the United Nations is a credible institution?"
Next Monday, Syrians go to the poll in local elections. The campaign has been underway without much fanfare. The turnout will be very significant because it will show the degree of disaffection and support for the regime, unless, that is, results are not rigged.
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See also
Assad gives West confident response
22/08/2011
22/08/2011
