Syrian Spokesman Defends Crackdown

This week the United Nations said that more than 5,000 people have been killed in the ongoing crackdown by Syrian security forces. President Bashar Al-Assad has denied any orders were issued to kill demonstrators and says gunmen have killed more than one thousand of his forces. Anchor Marco Werman speaks with Jihad Makdissi, spokesperson for the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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Marco Werman: The source of most information coming from Syria these days is the country’s opposition. Its members put out daily updates about the daily clashes between protestors and President Bashar Al-Assad’s security forces. We spoke several times on this program with Syrian anti-government activists. Today we hear from the regime. Jihad Makdissi is a foreign ministry spokesman. He denies that his government is deliberately killing protestors.

Jihad Makdissi: There is no policy for a crackdown in Syria. What’s happening in Syria is not black and white as some media outlet is trying to portray. The army and security’s mandate is only to respond to those who are carrying weapon and heavy weaponry, simply and unfortunately, against the state. And here we differentiate between peaceful demonstrators and armed elements who are carrying guns and arms like shoulder-mounted rockets. So this is the job of the army. It is not for killing and they don’t have this mandate. And anyone who would breach this, he would be accountable by all.

Werman: But does heavily armed individuals, that’s a more recent development of army defectors, that’s what we understand. The original protestors were peaceful and yet they were shot.

Makdissi: Marco, let me tell you something, the sector of people who are fleeing from the army, they are deserters. The problem now with this high amount of people carrying weapons against the state, there are people hiding under this definition and pretending to be defectors, meanwhile they are militias. I’m not saying, Marco, to be clear for you audience, I’m not saying we don’t have a problem in Syria. Yes, we do, but the thing is it’s not as simple as people would like to portray this.

Werman: You say the crisis in Syria is complex, but from here it looks like one more country involved in the Arab Spring; people demanding democracy ahead of state refusing to give it over. How’s it more complex than that?

Makdissi: It is very complicated because when you say Arab Spring that means it’s only peaceful demonstrations. How can we justify that six pilots were killed, assassinated in their base bus while on their way home? The government is confrontation with these people who are carrying arms and assassinating people or killing people, and not against the demonstrations. Syria is not afraid of democracy.

Werman: Dr. Makdissi, Dr. Makdissis, if Syria is not afraid of democracy then why have more than 5,000 Syrians been killed in this fighting so far? Are you saying all of them are army defectors or soldiers, militia?

Makdissi: No, no, not at all, what I’m telling you is that the story is not black and white. First of all, I disagree with the number 5,000.

Werman: That’s a UN estimate.

Makdissi: When we, just to give an idea for your audience, it’s not like 5,000 civilians were killed in massacres. In addition, there are mistakes that happen and the leadership of the president is to hold those people accountable.

Werman: At three heads of state so far, Hosni Mubarak, Muammar Gaddafi and Ben Ali of Tunisia have been deposed by crowds clamoring for democracy as Syrians are doing right now, why do you think President Assad will be different and will be able to weather the same storm in Syria?

Makdissi: Because simply he still enjoys a high rate of popularity, but Marco, anyway, it’s no longer about the president. It’s about Syria as a country. It’s about the brink on a civil war or not. It’s about you know, the civil security of Syria. It’s no longer about the president.

Werman: Dr. Jihad Makdissi, spokesperson for the Syrian Foreign Ministry, thank you very much for your time indeed, sir.

Makdissi: Thank you.

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