SYRIA: Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jihad Makdissi a U.S. television interview with President Bashar al-Assad had been 'distorted' and that it was studying an Arab League peace proposal

Record ID: 280087

  • Title: SYRIA: Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jihad Makdissi a U.S. television interview with President Bashar al-Assad had been 'distorted' and that it was studying an Arab League peace proposal
  • Date: 10th December 2011
  • Summary: MAKDISSI SHOWING EDIT OF SYRIAN PRESIDENT BASHAR AL-ASSAD'S INTERVIEW WITH ABC NEWS TELEVISION MAKDISSI MAKDISSI WATCHING THE EDIT
  • Embargoed: 25th December 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Syrian Arab Republic
  • Country: Syria
  • Topics: Conflict,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAB0UBWBOUA8BBWTJXDW1AWRFKU
  • Story Text: Syria said on Friday (December 9, 2011) that President Bashar al-Assad's first interview with the U.S. media since the unrest began had been "distorted".
    When asked in the interview with the ABC network about Syrian security forces shooting protesters, Assad had denied his government gave the orders.
    The Syrian foreign ministry said the interview edited out the part where the president said investigations into the killings had been ordered and detentions made.
    The ministry showed clips of the interview as it was broadcast, along with the original copy at a news conference.
    Assad told ABC that the United Nations was not a credible body. The foreign ministry said the interview left out Assad's comments on why he thought so.
    "We are not surprised by the distortion and we know that in the media, every channel has the right to edit but there was a gentleman's agreement that this edit should not lead to distorting facts. How is this possible with the president of a state and in a country like Syria where everybody says that we do not allow the media to work and when we allow them, they distort. So I do not know whose fault it is," said Syrian foreign ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi.
    Makdissi said Damascus was studying the reply of the Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby about an Arab peace plan.
    "We are still studying this paper (Arab's League reply). We work with diplomacy till the end but the Syrian people are the only ones who can find a solution. People outside can help Syrians by making the right attempts," the ministry spokesman said Last month, the Arab League announced unprecedented economic sanctions against Damascus for failing to halt the violence and agree to its initiative, but has extended the deadline for signing the agreement several times since then.
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