In his address at the 1st session of the new people's Assembly, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Thursday reviewed the dangers threatening the Arab and Islamic nations, stressing Syria's rejection of allegations proposed to "spread blind chaos in the Arab society."
In this context, President al-Assad stressed Syria's rejection of the invasion of Iraq and what has resulted of pains and calamities.
The president said that Syria had worked hard to foil the settlement projects which are humiliating to the Arab people such as the New or Greater Middle East which constitutes reshaping of the region according to the Israeli requirements.
Assad stated the current Israeli government was too weak and is not prepared for a just peace with the Arabs, but cautioned that it could still wage war. "Israel is not ready on the official and popular level for a just and comprehensive peace, which requires strong leadership that can take decisive decisions, in addition to a mature public opinion that can push their governments in that direction," Assad said, according to the AP.
"Both are not available now in Israel, particularly in the presence of a weak government who is unable of taking a strategic decision (for peace)," the Syrian leader said.
He added that Syria had been a target for continued pressures inorder to be forced to abandon its stances and to thwart its Arab and regional role.
The Syrian leader said that seducing Syria as a policy ,was not successful since it did not meet Syria's national and pan-Arab requirements and the policy of threat did not intimidate Syria to abandon its principles.
On Iraq, Assad said that Syria had stood against occupation and called for the need to lay a timetable for the withdrawal of the occupation troops. The president added that Syria had declared support to the Iraqi people in their resistance and to the political process in Iraq.
On Lebanon, President al-Assad stressed that Syria supports any option that gains the accord of the Lebanese people and the state with aim of overcoming the current crisis because stability and peace in Lebanon are peace and stability in Syria. He ruled out cooperation with an international tribunal on the 2005 murder of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri if it threatened its sovereignty and independence.
"We consider that the international tribunal concerns only Lebanon and the United Nations and that we are not directly concerned," Assad said in his speech to parliament.
"Any cooperation requested from Syria which could compromise our national sovereignty is rejected."
"Syria is cooperating with the commission but not with the tribunal. There is a difference between cooperation and abandoning our independence," Assad told parliament members. "We have cooperated with the international commission of inquiry and we reiterate our readiness to cooperate it as long as it respect our laws and our sovereignty."
