Politicians from Syria

"[The Jews] tried to kill the principles of all religions with the same mentality in which they betrayed Jesus Christ and the same way they tried to betray and kill the Prophet Muhammad."

"[T]here is no such things as "Islamic terrorism," because terrorism differs from Islam. There's just terrorism, not Islamic terrorism. But the term "Islamic terrorism" has become widespread."

"Not there's no Holocaust, let say they "exaggerated" the Holocaust. We don't say many people...but they say there's Holocaust but they are exagerating, so there's such perception of this event of this title, the Holocaust, in our region...It's not the matter how many were killed, six million or one million, or half...killing is killing, I mean how many Soviets were killed? eight million, so why didn't we talk about them? the problem is not how many were killed. How do they do use it? what do the Palestinians have to do to the Holocaust to pay the price? This is one question we asked...We know that there was massacre against Jewish and against others...what's going on in Palestine we see it the same way, but you don't see it the same way..."

"They are not my forces. They are military forces that belong to the government.… I don't own them. I am [the] president. I don't own the country so they are not my forces."

"The army is engaged in a crucial and heroic battle... on which the destiny of the nation and its people rests. The enemy is among us today, using agents to destabilise the country, the security of its citizens... and continues to exhaust our economic and scientific resources. They (the enemy) wanted to deprive the people of their national decision... but they were astonished to see these proud people, who confronted their plans and defeated them. You men of the country... you have demonstrated, in dealing with the war waged against our country by the terrorist gangs, that you possess an iron will and a keen awareness. Our military remains the backbone of the motherland."

"I'm not a puppet. I wasn't made by the west to go to the west or any other country. I'm Syrian. I'm made in Syria. I have to live in Syria and die in Syria."

"[Enemies of Syria] are the enemies of the people and the enemies of God. And the enemies of God will go to hell."

"We are facing an external attack against us, which is more dangerous than any other previous wars... We are dealing with those who are extremists, who only know the language of killing and criminality."

"The policy is crucial thing for us, when they started supporting the terrorists with such projects, or plans, or steps; this is where you can have more chaos in the world, that's another question, Do the United States have interests in having more chaos around the world or the United States have more interests in having stability around the world? That's another question, of course the United States can create chaos, they've been creating chaos for the last 56 years around the world, It's not something new. Are they going to make it more...worse, more prevailing? That's another question. But it's not about me, it's not about the president, it's about the whole situation in the world, 'cause you cannot separate the situation in Syria from the situation in the Middle East, when the Middle East is not stable, the world cannot be stable."

"They may attack civillians, and I cannot blame the innocents in the United States for the bad intentions of their officials, this is not correct, and as I said many times, I don't consider the United States as direct enemy as they don't occupy my land."

"With every treacherous shell that had fallen, the enemies’ hopes would grow that Aleppo would become another Aleppo, one that never existed throughout history, an Aleppo that does not constitute with its twin Damascus the wings by which the homeland soars; rather an Aleppo whose people would stand with traitors in front of masters, kneeling and prostrating themselves before them, begging for a few dollars and much disgrace. That was in their dreams; but in our real world, with every shell that fell, fear fell and the will to challenge grew. With every martyr, nationalist spirit grew and faith in the homeland became stronger. In our real world, it remained the real Aleppo, the Aleppo of history, nobility, and authenticity. And because it is so, its people did not settle for steadfastness just in the sense of bearing of pain and suffering and acceptance of the status quo; but rather in the sense of work and production that persisted throughout the years of the siege despite the conditions that contradict any economic sense."

"The most important factor is how long are the supporters of those terrorists are keep going to keep supporting them, especially Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, with endorsements of some Western countries including United States, if you don't have that support it won't take more than a few months....That depends on how much the support of terrorist have in Turkey, in Saudi money to have more terrorists coming to Syria, their aim is to prolong the war, so they can prolong it if they want, they've already succeeded in that. That depends on that. If you're talking about how much is going to take as only Syrian conflict, isolated conflict, this is what it won't take for a few months but if it is not isolated conflict as it is the case today, with the interferences of many regional and international powers, it will be going to take some time, and no one has the answer as we have, of course, nobody knows how the war is going to develop..."

"Talk about the reality, about the facts, when to talk about children being killed, children of who? where? how? you're talking about propaganda, about media campaign, about sometimes fake pictures on the internet, we cannot talk but ones of the facts. We can talk about the facts, I cannot talk about allegations."

"When we talk about "clean war," when there is no casualties, no civilians, no innocent people to be killed, that doesn't exist, no one could make it, no war in the world..."

"Since the beginning of this crisis, we have the same motto "Assad must go" many times from nearly every Western officials in different level whether leader or foreign minister and other officials...we never cared about it...we never, so you cannot talk about this threat, this is an interference in our internal issues; we're not going to respond to, as long as i have the support of Syrian people, I don't care about whether...including the President of United States himself, anyone, so it's same for us, that's why...say Clinton and Trump and what Obama said, for me nothing, we don't put it on our political map; we don't waste our time with those rhetorics or even 'demands'"

"Whatever (Valerie) Amos or any other official or any organization say something against us doesn't mean it's real. We have to verify what they say and is it the part of propaganda? is it politicized? or what..."

"Every 'brute reaction' was by an individual, not by an institution, that's what you have to know, There is a difference between having a policy to crackdown and between having some mistakes committed by some officials. There is a big difference, We don't kill our people… no government in the world kills its people, unless it's led by a crazy person, There was no command to kill or be brutal."

"You are mixing between the protesters and the killings, it's different, now we are having terrorists in many places...killing, not only now, from the very beginning, now it's recognized by the media that's the difference, that from the very first few weeks we had those terrorists they are getting more and more, more aggressive, they have been killing. we have 1100 soldiers and policemen killed, who killed them? "peaceful demonstrators"? this is not logical, this is unpalatable..."

"When, but you, to be frank with you, Barbara, I, you don't live here...how did you know all this? you have to be here to see. We don't see this. So it cannot depend on what you hear in the United States."

"Had this 'Spring' been genuine, it would've started in the backward Arab countries. Were it a call for freedom, democracy, justice, it would've began in the most oppressive and tyrannical states. The states behind every hardship that befell this nation, and every war against it. States behind the intellectual and religious deviation and moral decline. Their existence is the best success for the west and the main reason for Israel's continued existence. There is no clearer evidence than their current stand regarding the Israeli aggression against Gaza. Where is the 'alleged' zeal and passion that they showed towards Syria or the Syrian people? Why haven't they supported Gaza with money and arms? Where are their jihadists and why didn't they send jihadists to defend our people in Palestine?"

"It is an integrated chain of events: from the occupation of Palestine, to the invasion of Iraq and trying to divide it now and the division of the Sudan all planned by Israel and the West and always executed by the states of tyranny and backwardness in our Arab world. Was it not Abdul Aziz Ibn Abdul Rahman al-Faisal [Ibn Saud] who conceded to Britain that he does not object to giving Palestine to the ‘poor’ Jews in 1915? Did those states not incite the 1967 war, whose price we are still paying today, in order to get rid of the Abul Naser ‘phenomenon’? Did those states not support Iran under the Shah, only to stand against it when it decided to support the Palestinian people and turn the Israeli embassy into a Palestinian embassy after the revolution? Those are the countries which made the ‘King Fahd Peace Initiative’ in 1981 and threatened the Palestinians with rivers of blood if they don’t accept it. When the Palestinian factions rejected it, and in less than a year, there was the Israeli invasion of Lebanon and the ejection of the PLO from Lebanon, not out of concern for Lebanon, but for Israel. Those same states surprised us in 2002 with their greatest concession: ‘normalization in return for peace,’which was later modified to become the ‘Arab Peace Initiative’in the Beirut summit. When Israel attacked Lebanon in 2006, it was those same countries that encouraged Israel and the West not to accept a cease-fire until the Lebanese resistance was destroyed, describing them as ‘adventurous.’ Because these satellite countries succeeded in their tasks, they were charged with funding chaos under the name of the ‘Arab spring,’ and with leading the Arab League after other Arab countries abandoned their roles. The Arab League itself was reduced to summoning NATO and imposing a siege on the Arab states that refused to comply. All of these events constitute a strongly linked chain aimed at liquidating the Palestinian cause; all the money spent by those countries since their creation has been for this purpose. And here they are today playing the same role: in Gaza through Israeli terrorism, and in Syria through terrorism belonging to 83 nationalities. The methods may differ but their objective is the same."

"None of these allegations you mentioned are concrete, all of them are allegations. You can bring photos from anyone and say this is torture. Who took the pictures? Who is he? Nobody knows. There is no verification of any of this evidence, so it’s all allegations without evidence... It’s funded by Qatar, and they say it’s an anonymous source. So nothing is clear or proven. The pictures are not clear which person they show. They’re just pictures of a head, for example, with some skulls. Who said this is done by the government, not by the rebels? Who said this is a Syrian victim, not someone else? For example, photos published at the beginning of the crisis were from Iraq and Yemen."

"You have to convince your audiences, you cannot mention such a picture without verifying who are those and where and everything about, just to put it in front of the audience, tell them “they’ve been killed by the Syrian soldiers.” At the end, these are allegations. We have to talk about concrete evidence, at the end. That’s how you can base your judgment. Anyone can say whatever he wants."

"Finding a link between Bashar Assad′s regime and the rise of the so-called Islamic State will not come as a surprise to many Syrians. Unlike the image the regime has been trying to sell to world media that Assad is fighting IS, there is well-documented evidence of the Assad dictatorship′s contributions to the IS tale of terror."

"Bashar al-Assad’s hold on power, to which he is clinging, and for which he is also prepared to commit genocide."

"The Assad regime is absolutely monstrous and responsible for a large majority of the atrocities."

"Russia, Iran and Hezbollah openly supported the Assad regime from the outset. But why have the US and the nations of the West, which are apparently so concerned with respect for human rights, done nothing to stop the terrible violence of the Assad regime? Is the so-called "Islamic State" a logical consequence of the violence of the Assad regime?"

"The Assad dictatorship is conducting an outright campaign of annihilation against its own population."

"The tyranny of Assad will always give rise to extremist violence, whether it is called "Islamic State" or known by another name. Western societies are increasingly equating the terror of the Assad regime with that of "Islamic State", even going so far as to describe Assad as the evidently lesser evil. This despite the fact that Assad has killed a quarter of a million Syrians with barrel bombs and chemical weapons alone, while IS has between 10,000 and 20,000 people on its conscience (exact figures are not known). In addition, the deployment of Assad's air force and the besieging of cities by government troops have driven several million Syrians from their homes. It is terrifying how the deeds of the man who is currently the world's most brutal mass murderer are being relativised and how the focus is increasingly on the crimes of "Islamic State"."

"Everyone [in western capitals] says to us ‘What’s the alternative to Assad and why is the opposition not united?’. But it’s not the revolution’s fault that it’s not united and we can’t wait for unity while the river of blood flows. The alternative to Assad is the ballot box."

"People’s homes are invaded, women and children are taken hostage, because the authorities are not satisfied with arresting an activist – they take the whole family. This is going on in all regions of the country. President Bashar al-Assad said that his government’s priority was ensuring that there is enough baby formula, because that’s more important than freedom. Today he’s doing the opposite: depriving the children of Daraa not only of freedom, but also of milk, since he’s starving the city."

"He represents the case of stubbornness."

"There is one painting [titled Betrayal] that speaks to me on an emotional level. [President] Bashar al-Assad should look at this painting. He probably would see a big part of himself inside it. He might recognize the evil presented in this painting in himself. That’s the point of every painting in this room: They are designed for people to come to terms with their own capacity to commit horrible acts. If we don’t understand the root of violence, then we’ll never be able to protect ourselves from committing it."

"Everybody knows what this regime is capable of doing, including people who favour Assad. And everybody knows what's happening in Syrian jails. Of course the regime denies all these charges. But do you remember the photographs by Caesar who took pictures of torture victims in a military hospital and then smuggled them out of the country? After he published them in 2013, many Syrians looked through them in order to identify missing family members and friends. I discovered a good friend. He was arrested one and a half years beforehand and then tortured to death. Western countries look at the Syrian civil war and say: "If we have to choose the lesser of two evils, we'd rather live with Assad.""

"Assad's bombs gave life to IS in Syria. People have been radicalised and ultimately, view IS as a protector of Sunnis. Assad's air strikes on cities, like Aleppo, or the targeted infrastructure attacks, were fatal. His assaults killed seven times more civilians than IS has."

"Yes, we have understood – Assad is not the lesser evil, but a war criminal. It is not IS that kills the most civilians, but the regime in Damascus (and Russia has to date killed more civilians than IS and the Nusra Front together). And a leader who is indicted for crimes against humanity in this country cannot be made a partner in the war on terror."

"As long as foreign Shia militias are allowed to murder as they please on Assad's behalf, the radicalisation of Syria's majority Sunni population will continue."

"The Syrian conflict has several narratives, all of which are jostling for media supremacy. In the end, the one that is being heard most clearly is that of Bashar al Assad."

"In Syria, the "good" war against terror looks something like this: all Syrians who are against Assad are cast as "terrorists", "tools of US imperialism" or "puppets" of Saudi Arabia or Turkey. They have practically no will of their own, they have not experienced any misery and are completely dehumanised. Assad himself on the other hand is seen as the legitimate president of a sovereign state, as a "quiet, thoughtful man", as Jurgen Todenhofer described him."

"It′s a great failure for humanity. What is happening in Syria is not just a Syrian affair. The oppression of the Syrian people by the Assad regime also concerns us in the West. "IS" draws its power from the dictatorship′s oppression."

"...But the international community doesn′t want to act on it. They see intervention as too complicated for them. Syria is a sovereign state and Assad an elected president. Even if he wasn′t elected democratically, he is recognised as having been elected. And then there′s the fact that he and his wife look like us. His wife is very beautiful. She doesn′t wear a veil and they both appear "civilised". So it′s much more difficult to see the barbarism there than it is with the members of "IS", who post their crimes on social media for all to see."

"...must be made clear that Assad and the higher ranks of the regime will have no part in any political solutions. They are responsible for mass crimes and you can′t go back to business as usual with criminals."

"The attack on Iraq, the attack on Libya, the attack on Syria happened because the leader in each of these countries was not a puppet of the West. The human rights record of a Saddam or a Gaddafi was irrelevant. They did not obey orders and surrender control of their country.... As WikLeaks has revealed, it was only when the Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in 2009 rejected an oil pipeline, running through his country from Qatar to Europe, that he was attacked.... From that moment, the CIA planned to destroy the government of Syria with jihadist fanatics – the same fanatics currently holding the people of Mosul and eastern Aleppo hostage. Why is this not news? The former British Foreign Office official Carne Ross, who was responsible for operating sanctions against Iraq, told me: “We would feed journalists factoids of sanitised intelligence, or we would freeze them out. That is how it worked.”"

"After years of brutal fighting along purportedly confessional lines, the complex Syrian conflict has become a regional and international proxy war. What began as a peaceful popular uprising against the brutal tyranny of the Assad clan is now a global conflict."

"Dear Bashar al-Assad Apologists: Your Hero Is a War Criminal Even If He Didn’t Gas Syrians."

"It’s sickening to hear these clowns repeatedly claim that “Assad murdered 500,000 of his people,” as though the U.S.-backed terrorists have played no role in the killings. I’ve viewed hundreds of beheadings and crucifixions online but none committed by Syria troops – all were proudly posted by the hellish filth that we’ve recruited, armed and trained for the past eight years. Major war crimes, like beheading 250 Syrian soldiers after running them across the desert in their underpants, were scarcely mentioned by the MSM."

"The reason is not simply because of my opinion of him. It is because it is unimaginable that you can stop the civil war there when the overwhelming majority of people in Syria consider him to be a brutal, murderous dictator."

"My patience ran out on President Assad a long time ago. The reason why is because he houses Hamas, he facilitates Hezbollah, suiciders go from his country into Iraq, and he destabilises Lebanon."

"There’s a different leader in Syria now. Many of the members of Congress of both parties who have gone to Syria in recent months have said they believe he’s a reformer."

"For me he is the last Arab ruler, and Syria is the last Arab country. It is the fortress of the remaining dignity of the Arabs, and that's why I'm proud to be here."

"Although Americans are starting to wake up, many people are still caught up in the mainstream narrative regarding the Syrian war.... Starting in 2011, tens of thousands of foreigners – Al Qaeda and other jihadists – were sent into Syria to overthrow Assad. The U.S. and its allies – Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey & Jordan – assisted in buying and transporting weapons to the “insurgents.” Special forces from the U.S., U.K., France and Israel also spent billions of dollars arming and training the terrorists, a.k.a “moderate rebels.” What’s happening in Syria is not a civil war – it’s a proxy war. Assad has been fighting the Islamic terrorists for seven years. It’s cynical and Orwellian for the West to shed crocodile tears for the Syrians and blame Assad for this brutal war. While the presstitutes make it look like Assad is fighting women and children, fact is that the rebels have highly sophisticated weapons – million-dollar tanks, U.S.-made anti-tank missiles that cost $250,000 etc.."

"Assad protects Christians and other minorities. There’s no Sharia Law in Syria, and religious minorities have full freedom. The only group that’s “oppressed” in Syria is the violent Muslim Brotherhood, which has been banned for many decades. The Syrian opposition consists of Sunni extremists who have been persecuting and killing Shiites and Christians for the last seven years."

"No way – no way possible in the imagination – that the man who has led the brutal response to his own people could regain the legitimacy to govern. One man and those who have supported him can no longer hold an entire nation and a region hostage. The right to lead a country does not come from torture, nor barrel bombs, nor Scud missiles. It comes from the consent of the people. And it’s hard to imagine how that consent could be forthcoming at this point in time."

"The regime of Bashar al-Assad will inevitably go down. And its collapse will be loud not only in Syria but across the Arab world."

"Bashar Al-Assad was able to break Syria over the heads of the Syrians."

"Other translation: " Bashar Al-Assad was able to destroying Syria on the heads of Syrians" cbc.ca"

"... Assad’s survival—if Saddam Hussein’s murderous rampage in 1991 is any indication—will without a shadow of a doubt translate into hundreds of thousands of Syrian dead, mostly butchered after his victory has been assured. The comparison comes to mind because the two Ba’thi regimes of Saddam Hussein and Bashar Assad bear an unmistakable resemblance—they are mirror images of one another, one might say. Both are minority dominated, single party regimes originating in the same quasi-fascist pan-Arab ideology built on the principle that any form of disagreement is an act of “betrayal” to the “revolution.”"

"Assad as President has actively tried to kill his own people. He has bombed them with barrel bombs in a most terrible way. He has brought untold suffering over his people -- if you look at Aleppo and other places. When you talk to the many Syrian refugees who have fled here to Germany, they will be able to tell you their own personal story, and the majority of them -- the great majority of them -- fled from Assad, and most of them not even fled the IS. So I don’t see him as an ally."

"The US foreign policy establishment had rhetorically justified America’s presence in Syria as part of the war on the Islamic State (ISIS). With ISIS essentially defeated and dispersed, Trump called the establishment’s bluff... This shift had the benefit of unmasking America’s real purposes in the Middle East...because of ISIS. In fact, ISIS was more a consequence than a cause of the US presence. The real purposes have been US regional hegemony; and the real consequences have been disastrous."

"The truth about the US presence in Syria has rarely been told. But one can be sure that the US has had no scruples about democracy in Syria or elsewhere in the region, as its warm embrace of Saudi Arabia amply demonstrates. The US decided to promote an insurgency to overthrow Bashar al-Assad in 2011 not because the US and allies like Saudi Arabia longed for Syrian democracy, but because they decided that Assad was a hindrance to US regional interests. Assad’s sins were clear: he allied with Russia, and he received support from Iran."

"Today, Bashar Al-Assad is playing the role of the son of the Levanter, offering his services to any would-be buyer through interviews with whoever passes through the corner of Damascus where he is hiding. At first glance, the Levanter may appear attractive to those engaged in sordid games. In the end, however, the Levanter must betray his existing paymaster in order to begin serving a new one. Four years ago, Bashar switched to the Tehran-Moscow axis and is now trying to switch back to the Tel-Aviv-Washington one that he and his father served for decades. However, if the story has one lesson to teach, it is that the Levanter is always the source of the problem, rather than part of the solution. ISIS is there because almost half a century of repression by the Assads produced the conditions for its emergence. What is needed is a policy based on the truth of the situation in which both Assad and ISIS are parts of the same problem."

"Those who urge an alliance with Assad cite the example of Joseph Stalin, the Soviet despot who became an ally of Western democracies against Nazi Germany. I never liked historical comparisons and like this one even less. To start with, the Western democracies did not choose Stalin as an ally; he was thrusted upon them by the turn of events. When the Second World War started Stalin was an ally of Hitler thanks to the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. The Soviet Union actively participated in the opening phase of the war by invading Poland from the east as the Germans came in from the West. Before that, Stalin had rendered Hitler a big service by eliminating 22 000 of Polish army officers in The Katyn massacre. Between September 1939 and June 1941, when Hitler invaded the Soviet Union, Stalin was an objective ally of Hitler. Stalin switched sides when he had no choice if he wanted to save his skin. The situation in Syria today is different. There is no alliance of democracies which, thanks to Obama’s enigmatic behavior, lack any strategy in the Middle East. Unlike Stalin, Assad has not switched sides if only because there is no side to switch to. Assad regards ISIS as a tactical ally against other armed opposition groups. This is why Russia is now focusing its air strikes against non-ISIS armed groups opposed to Assad. More importantly, Assad has none of the things that Stalin had to offer the Allies. To start with Stalin could offer the vast expanse of territory controlled by the Soviet Union and capable of swallowing countless German divisions without belching. Field Marshal von Paulus’ one-million man invasion force was but a drop in the ocean of the Soviet landmass. In contrast, Assad has no territorial depth to offer. According to the Iranian General Hossein Hamadani, who was killed in Aleppo, Assad is in nominal control of around 20 percent of the country. Stalin also had an endless supply of cannon fodder, able to ship in millions from the depths of the Urals, Central Asia and Siberia. In contrast, Assad has publicly declared he is running out of soldiers, relying on Hezbollah cannon fodder sent to him by Tehran. If Assad has managed to hang on to part of Syria, it is partly because he has an air force while his opponents do not. But even that advantage has been subject to the law of diminishing returns. Four years of bombing defenseless villages and towns has not changed the balance of power in Assad’s favor. This may be why his Russian backers decided to come and do the bombing themselves. Before, the planes were Russian, the pilots Syrian. Now both planes and pilots are Russian, underlining Assad’s increasing irrelevance. Stalin’s other card, which Assad lacks, consisted of the USSR’s immense natural resources, especially the Azerbaijan oilfields which made sure the Soviet tanks could continue to roll without running out of petrol. Assad in contrast has lost control of Syria’s oilfields and is forced to buy supplies from ISIS or smugglers operating from Turkey. There are other differences between Stalin then and Assad now. Adulated as “the Father of the Nation” Stalin had the last word on all issues. Assad is not in that position. In fact, again according to the late Hamadani in his last interview published by Iranian media, what is left of the Syrian Ba’athist regime is run by a star chamber of shadowy characters who regard Assad as nothing but a figurehead."

"... the biggest criminal of our time."

"The fate of ISIS will not differ from the fate of Bashar Al-Assad, as the two are moving on top of the killing and destruction machine."

"Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price to pay."

"A foolish and cowardly boss who lives in isolation."

"Assad is definitely a terrorist who has carried out state terrorism."

"It is impossible to continue with Assad in Syria. Why? Because how can we embrace the future with a Syrian president who has killed nearly 1 million of his citizens? Do the Syrian people want to see a person like him in power? I am saying it loud and clear, Bashar al-Assad is actually a terrorist who has inflicted state terror. We cannot say such a person can handle this issue. Because saying so means doing injustice to 1 million Syrians who have been massacred. tccb.gov.tr"

"There is no peace in Syria and this peace won’t come with Assad."

"Bashar Assad should see the tragic ends of the ones who declared war against their own people."

"History will mark these leaders as the leaders who feed on blood."

"He is a man who wages state terror. It is he who killed nearly one million people."

"If only he could stay in Moscow longer, to give the people of Syria some relief. In fact, he should stay there so the transition can begin."

"If Bashar has the interest of his country, he would step down, but he would also create an ability to reach out and start a new phase of Syrian political life."

"When the refugees realize that their return is conditioned on coordination with Bashar al-Assad's regime, they won't return, because Bashar al-Assad himself was behind their displacement."

"The future of Syria must be determined by its people, but President Bashar al-Assad is standing in their way. His calls for dialogue and reform have rung hollow while he is imprisoning, torturing and slaughtering his own people."

"We have consistently said that President Assad must lead a democratic transition or get out of the way. He has not led. For the sake of the Syrian people, the time has come for President Assad to step aside."

"...President Assad, who is resorting to brutal military force against his own people and who is responsible for the situation, has lost all legitimacy and can no longer claim to lead the country. We call on him to face the reality of the complete rejection of his regime by the Syrian people and to step aside in the best interests of Syria and the unity of its people."

"He is not going to lead the programme of change in Syria now. He has shown he is not capable of reform. His position is untenable. There is no process of change that leaves him intact."

"In essence, I see the Syria war as a wrong one. If we had any sense, and if the Qods Force had not had excessive aspirations, Bashar Assad would have been toppled in 2011 because of the Arab Spring, and his dictatorial, oppressive Ba'thist regime would have fallen. We could have maintained good ties with those who would have replaced him in a democratic manner. That way, Iran's resources would not have been wasted in Syria."

"if instead of supporting Bashar Assad's tyrannical regime we protect the Syrian people from ISIS – then Turkey, Russia, America, and Iran can unite and decide that democracy should be established in Syria and that Assad must go."

"Bashar al-Assad is a criminal, he will have to be tried and answer for his crimes before international court."

"A day will come when international justice will give its verdict on Bashar al-Assad who is massacring his people."

"That was how his country was branded by the dictator: Souriyya al-Assad, the Syria of Assad, as though it were private property. Drilled into children’s heads at school, written on the walls and on banners hanging from bridges, the phrase made clear there was no escaping the Assads, father and son. Then came 2011 and the Arab uprisings. Timid yearnings for freedom became a flood of people on the streets of Syria demanding the fall of the dictator. Millions took to the street. Yassin glimpsed the contours of a more hopeful future. So how could it be that when he returned to his hometown of Raqqa, in the summer of 2013, he found himself at the epicenter of a conflict not his own, looking over the ruins of his life, having been robbed of his soul, his love, his family. Yassin and millions of Syrians were rebelling against tyranny, but their country found itself caught between the spiritual heirs of Ibn Abdelwahhab and the upholders of Khomeini’s legacy; between the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)."

"Throughout 2011 and 2012, Assad steadily lost his grip on large parts of the country. In Washington and European capitals, presidents and prime ministers believed his days were numbered. But they had underestimated the dictator with no conscience. He was the true heir of his father. He would make no concessions; his approach was “Assad, or we burn the country.” And he would do just that. The Syrian uprising and the subsequent brutal war have been characterized from many perspectives. Most cite big geopolitical events for saving Assad, like President Obama’s reluctance to intervene as he had done in Libya, or his backing down from a promise to punish Assad for using chemical weapons against his people in 2013. But the longer the outside world allowed Assad to kill, torture, and imprison with impunity, the more the revolution fractured. The Syrian battle for freedom was in a race against the inexorable radicalization and militarization of any revolution that drags on too long. As rage and despair built up, the revolutionaries picked up arms, rebel factions formed and splintered. The revolution was also in a race against those who saw an opportunity in the chaos—two very different groups of men in black, bearing different flags, enemies in fact, had been scouting the terrain. They weren’t even Syrians."

"Bashar al-Assad′s regime is by no means secular; it is sectarian. When it comes to Muslim-majority countries, many people in the West tend to adopt what I call Huntingtonian secularism, defining secularism in an oversimplified culturalist way as something that is basically against Islam."

"In Assadʹs prisons, thereʹs no such thing as a pampered prisoner."

"The so-called Al-Qaeda is, in my opinion, an illusion. It is a bunch of organizations which used to be supervised by the CIA, and used to commit crimes in some Arab and Islamic countries."

"I heard news that the hostile Martu have entered inside your territories. [...] They are stronger than me, while I am condemned to sitting around."

"The place there where the boats moor will be under my responsibility."

"If you have not got enough grain, I myself shall have grain brought in to you. My lord has become distressed about the battles in Elam. But the Elamites' grain rations have quickly been exhausted, so do not slacken your forces! Do not fall head first into their slavery, nor follow at their heels!"

"That I should guard for you , and Nibru: let it be my responsibility. My lord should know this!"

"My lord, I am without fear!"

"Urim, your , rivalling heaven and earth, whose great prince you are, [...] which dispenses the divine powers and makes the foundations and the plans firm both in the south and in the uplands, will surely escape from the grasp."

"Elam, a raging dog, a destroyer, will not defile E-kic-nu-jal, the sanctuary which covers heaven and earth. [...] Its protective spirits shall not be split apart!"

"My lord: the loudest roarer."

"May An, Enlil and Enki, who have loved Ibbi-Suen from the womb, look upon him approvingly."

"Your heart should not fret over this. [...] Let your heart be glad over."

"As long as my lord is alive, he will exercise kingship over Urim."

"Before Utu, I will not change my word."

"Say to Icbi-Erra: this is what your lord, Ibbi-Suen, says: As long as Enlil was my lord, what course were you following? And is this how you alter your word? Today Enlil detests me, he detests his son Suen (the principal deity of Urim), and is handing Urim over to the enemy. Its central part is gone, the enemy has risen up, and all the lands are thrown into disarray. But on the day when Enlil turns again towards his son Suen, you and your word will be marked out!"

"How could you allow Puzur-Numucda, the commander of the fortress Igi-hursaja, to let the hostile Martu penetrate into my Land? Until now he has not sent to you word about engaging in battle. There are puny men in the Land! Why has he not faced the Martu?"

"Say to Puzur-Culgi, the governor of : this is what Ibbi-Suen, your lord, says: [...] [A]s in my own case, are not your troops proof of your importance? Why have you sent me somebody saying: "Icbi-Erra has got his eyes upon me -- so let me come to you when he falls upon me"? [...] How come you did not know how long it would take to make Icbi-Erra return to the mountain lands? Why have you and Girbubu, the governor of Jirikal, not confronted him with the troops which you had at hand? Today Enlil loathes and has elevated to the shepherdship of the Land an ape which has descended from those mountain lands. Now Enlil has given kingship to an idiot, a seller of -- to Icbi-Erra, who is not of Sumerian origin."

"See, the assembly where the gods are and Sumer itself have been dispersed! Father Enlil, whose words prevail, said: "Until the enemy has been expelled from Urim, Icbi-Erra, the man from Mari, will tear out Urim's foundations. He will indeed measure out Sumer like grain." He has spoken just so."

"The others will defect to Icbi-Erra, in accordance with Enlil's word. Should you hand over your city to the enemy like your companions, Icbi-Erra will not recognise you as his faithful and agreeable servant? May it now be brought about that good words should be restored and treason extinguished. Let Icbi-Erra participate in the harvest among the people there; but you yourself, do not turn back, and do not come to me! His grasp should not get hold of the city! This man from Mari, with the understanding of a dog, should not exercise lordship!"

"Say to Ibbi-Suen, my lord: this is what Puzur-Culgi, the governor of Kazallu, your servant, says: A messenger of Icbi-Erra came to me. He presented himself before me announcing: "Icbi-Erra, my lord, sends you a message: Enlil, my lord, [...] has told me to bring before Ninisina the cities, deities and troops of the region of the Tigris, Euphrates, Ab-gal and Me-Enlila watercourses, from the province of to the sea of Magan, so as to make Isin the storehouse of Enlil, to make it famous, and to make those regions its spoils of war and to make Isin's citizens occupy their cities. Why do you oppose me? I swear by the name of my lord Enlil and by Dagan, my personal god, that I will indeed get hold of Kazallu! The cities and the province which Enlil has promised me I want to build up within Isin. [...] I want to perform at their ecec festivals. I want to install my statues, my emblems, my en priests and nindijir priestesses in their jipar shrines. And as for you, I want to remove from within his country the man in whom you placed your trust! I want to rebuild the fortification of Isin and name it Idil-pacunu!""

"Just as he said he would, he has rebuilt the fortification of Isin and named it Idil-pacunu. He has captured Nibru and installed his garrison there. Also he has captured Nijdugani, the chief administrator of Nibru. He has imprisoned Zinnum, the governor of Subir. He has plundered Hamazi. He has made Nur-ahi, the governor of Ecnunna, Cu-Enlil, the governor of Kec, and Puzur-Tutu, the governor of Bad-ziaba, return to their posts. At his cry of victory [...] Icbi-Erra is constantly at the head of his soldiers! Just as he said he would, he has captured the regions of the Tigris, Euphrates, the Ab-gal and Me-Enlila watercourses. He has made Iddin enter Malgium. Opposing Girbubu, the governor of Jirikal, he cut off his strap and captured him. His cry of victory lies heavily upon us. Now Icbi-Erra is looking in my direction. I have no ally, nobody with whom I can align myself. Since he has not yet been able to get me in his grasp, let me come to you when he falls upon me. My lord should know this!"

"You have made me so happy with the news and everything. Who could give me a house-born slave such as you are? Who has such a capable man, so beneficial to his lord? [...] From today, you are my son who makes me happy. The cities of the province, the land of the Martu, Elam -- all of them I have placed before you: you are just as important as I am. So sit before them on a throne on a golden dais! [...] Let their messengers prostrate themselves in front of you! [...] Remove a governor -- appoint a governor! Appoint a commander! Designate a captain-general! Certainly you should put a man to death, a man who has killed: blind the man who has killed! Build your house of manhood for an attendant who has been favourably looked upon! Make sure your recompense is great! Now, you should not suddenly alter your word about all that I have been sending to you."

"The militarization of the uprising has provided a cover and a space for everyone-whether they are fighting to topple Assad, fighting for a free country, fighting a holy war in the name of God or fighting for a state that implements Islamic law."

"In the countries affected by the Arab Spring, the Americans have put their money on the Muslim Brotherhood. They believe it will be the dominant power of tomorrow, and they are adjusting to that fact."

"No doubts life cannot be limited to narrow concepts nor to religious and divine norms; it is extended to the depths of nature and begins first by unveiling what we ignore."

"Life and liberty are parts of each other and they are linked to our capacity of awareness."

"If we discover that religious morality was a result of historical misunderstanding, then we will need to free this morality from the prison of human virtue."

"We in Syria want extensive cooperation with Iran. We hope that the meetings between Mr. Qasemi (Minister of Roads and Urban Development of Iran) and Syrian officials will lead to agreements to reach economic and trade partnerships between the two sides"

"The Sunnis in Syria today are in a phase of loss and are defending their survival and existence. If, God forbid, the Shiite project hostile to the Sunnis in Syria succeeds, it will extend to the Sunnis in the entire region."

"Building is harder than war."

"Providing security and food for people is the core of Sharia law."

"No nation has ever united without growing stronger... and no nation has ever been divided without weakening."

"Egypt and the Levant are two wings of one bird."

"Syria expresses its deep solidarity with the peoples suffering from climate disasters."

"No matter how great the challenges, the will of the people is capable of overcoming them."

"Syria has managed to create a significant degree of consensus between countries that would find it difficult to agree on anything at this time."

"There are many strategic relations between Syria and the United States of America."

"Al-Nusra Front doesn't have any plans or directives to target the West. We received clear orders not to use Syria as a launching pad to attack the US or Europe in order to not sabotage the true mission against the regime. Maybe al-Qaeda does that, but not here in Syria."

"If the Levant is liberated, and if the Muslims come together in a well-guided Islamic government, a well-guided Muslim state that enforces the sharia of Allah Almighty, I will be the first soldier of such a government, and I will be under its jurisdiction. Even Dr. Ayman [al-Zawahiri] will be a soldier serving under the command of such a government [that] enforces all the instructions of Islam."

"With this spirit … we will not only reach Damascus, but, Allah permitting, Jerusalem will be awaiting our arrival."

"By God, goodness is abundant and far be it from God, far be it from God to let this tyrant oppress all the people of Syria. There is no house in Syria where the door of justice has not been knocked on, no house in Syria where the door of justice has not been knocked on. And praise be to God, on the day Syria recovers, God willing, this will be a new victory for the entire Islamic nation, this will be a new historic victory for the region."

"How many dangers we have avoided by not abandoning Syria, leaving it as a farm for Iranian expansion, spreading sectarianism in it, and stirring corruption, making it a place of innovation in the world."

"Today, Syria is being cleansed by the grace of Almighty God, by the grace of Almighty God and then by the efforts of the heroic mujahideen."

"This, my brothers, is a victory through the suffering of the people who languished in prisons, and by the grace of Almighty God, the mujahideen have liberated the body of the sect despite the tyrant’s blessings."

"This is a surprise to my eyes, my brothers, I hope you listen to us with your hands. Sit far away, my brothers, rise up, enter God Almighty. Yes, I said the prayer of the Prophet, yes, I said the prayer of the Prophet."

"We Syrians, the victims, are being punished for the acts of our executioner, who is no longer with us. We ask for the international community's help in prosecuting the Assad regime's criminals and recovering the money stolen from Syrians."

"Our terrorist listing is the result of a political will. We've carried out military operations, we haven't targeted civilians. Terrorism is about targeting civilians, and we haven't done that."

"In Syria, we spoke with all the communities, the Druze, who fought alongside us, the Christians, the Alawites, and the Kurds."

"It doesn't matter if I'm under sanctions and on a terrorist list. The important thing is to lift the sanctions on Syria."

"Now, after all that has happened, sanctions must be lifted because they were targeted at the old regime. The victim and the oppressor should not be treated in the same way."

"There are many things I just don't have the right to talk about because they are legal issues."

"We will not allow Syria to become a source of harassment for neighboring countries."

"The new Syria needs to go through several stages. The first stage was to directly take over power, so that the state institutions do not collapse. The following stage will be a transitional phase. Formulating a new constitution, or amending the constitution, requires a lot of time. The experts may need 2-3 years, God knows how long..."

"The Syrian problem has lasted for 14 years. There has been a lot of suffering and many attempts to fix things in Syria, but the UN and the international community have failed in bringing about the release of a single prisoner, in these 14 years. They have failed to bring back a single refugee, or to persuade the regime to accept even the minimal political solution, even though it served the interests of the regime. The Syrian people saved themselves by themselves, so I am asking not to burden them with frozen resolutions, which will only increase their suffering and bring them back to square one. What is the goal? The verbatim implementation of this resolution, or the benefit that was gained from this resolution?"

"We addressed all the parties, and said that the problem is Syrian, and we should resolve it internally and try to find a proper solution in northeast Syria, according to some basic principles: There must not be any partition of Syria, and we should not cement the idea of partition in any way, shape, or form – not even in the form of a federation. Our society is still not ready to understand the nature of federations, and it will head for partition under the title of federation."

"The Kurds are part of our people. They were oppressed, just like we were, and it is our duty to protect and defend them, and to let them return to some villages from which they were displaced during the period of the revolution. This is our duty. On the basis of these principles... With regard to the militants in northeast Syria – all the weapons should be held exclusively by the state. Militants who are qualified to join the Ministry of Defense will be welcome there. On the basis of these terms and principles, we will open negotiations track with SDF, and inshallah, we will find a suitable solution through dialogue."

"A few months ago, Damascus appeared to me like a devoted mother, gazing at her children with a look of both reproach and desperation, lamenting her wounds, humiliation, and suffering—bleeding but bearing the pain with resilience, on the verge of collapse, crying out: ‘Save your nation! Save it before the disgrace of nations befalls you!’"

"By the grace of God, we broke the chains, freed the tormented, and wiped away the dust of humiliation from Damascus’s shoulders. The sun of Syria rose once more."

"The people rejoiced, chanting “Allahu Akbar!” for it was the clear conquest and the great victory—the day when the rightful triumphed over falsehood, justice over oppression, and mercy over torture."

"Those who believe that war permits moral corruption are mistaken, for power, wealth, and weapons lead to widespread tyranny if not governed by values and ethics. The essence of struggle is a battle between righthood and falsehood, good and evil, justice and oppression."

"The fallen regime has left deep wounds—social, economic, and political and other. Healing them requires a lot of wisdom, relentless effort, and tireless perseverance. Those who believe the time for struggle has passed and that comfort has arrived are deluded."

"If arrogance consumes the victor, and he forgets the grace of God, he will be led to tyranny. Victory is not merely an achievement; it is a responsibility. The burden on the victorious is heavy, and their duty is immense."

"Syria today needs more than ever before. Just as we were determined to liberate her, we must now commit to rebuilding and developing her."

"To the defiant Syrian people, I stand before you today with a heart filled with hope and determination, directing my speech to all Syrian men and women, to those who live in the displacement camps, to the internally displaced and the refugees, to the injured and wounded, to the families of the martyrs and the missing, to the revolutionary activists who dedicated their life to struggle for Free Syria. I stand before you today 54 days after we were all liberated and Syria was liberated from the bonds of a criminal regime that oppressed us for decades. 54 days have passed since the disappearance of 54 years of the darkest forms of dictatorial rule in the history of Syria and the entire world. Syria was liberated by God’s grace first, then by the grace of every person who strove on the inside and the outside. Every person who sacrificed his life and blood, and his home and wealth, and his peace and security."

"I speak to you today not as a ruler, but as a servant to our wounded nation, determined to achieve Syria's unity and revival."

"Syria was liberated by the martyrs, male and female detainees, men and women who were tortured, missing men and women, and all their nursing mothers and their oppressed people, because of all their sacrifices and your sacrifices I stand here today, so that together we can open a new chapter in the history of our beloved land."

"From here, I address you today in my capacity as president of Syria in this fateful period, asking God to grant us all success so we can revive our homeland, and overcome the challenges that we are facing, and that will only be through all standing together in people and leadership. I address you today not as a ruler but as a servant for our wounded homeland, striving with all power and will I have been given to realise Syria’s unity and renaissance, as we should all understand that this is a transitional stage, and it is part of a political process that requires true participation by all Syrian men and women, inside and outside the country, so that we can build their future with freedom and dignity, without marginalisation or sidelining."

"Oh people of Free Syria, building the homeland is the responsibility of all of us, and this is a call to all Syrians to participate in building a new homeland, in which there is rule through justice and consultation. Together, we will build the future Syria: the Syria that is the beacon of knowledge and progress, the refuge of security and stability, the Syria of comfort, progress and prosperity, the Syria that extends its hand with peace and respect, so that its people can return to a dignified noble homeland, which is prosperous, safe and secure by God’s permission."

"First of all, Syria was under the control of the previous regime for 54 years. During these 54 years, Syria went through many disasters. Syria has retreated regionally on the level of the development of human resources, the level of economy, and also the level of political relationships with neighbouring countries. Previously Syria was a source of concern for all neighbouring countries. At the same time, it was not fulfilling its basic duties towards the people. The most important thing for the previous regime was to maintain power and to use security methods to remain in power. The security method means torture, as you have seen in Saydnaya prison, and arresting and beating people, and when people revolted against him, he used chemical weapons, explosive bombs, and other methods."

"Therefore, the next phase of five years will revolve around rebuilding the state on new and modern foundations. It is going to promote justice and counseling, and it is going to be based on the participation of all segments of society in running the country. The next five years are going to have several milestones. We hope to overcome all these difficulties and obstacles in a smooth manner, and we are counting on the wisdom of the Syrian people and the forgiveness that is shown by all the sections of the Syrian people."

"The Syrian context is exceptional, and each country goes through a peculiar situation. Political solutions should be born from the events taking place, so importing political experiences and applying them to the Syrian context, I believe, is not a correct policy. I have read history from all contexts: Arabic, International, and Islamic; and from all places: East, West, North, and South. We tried to benefit from all that has taken place in the world to take lessons from all that happened, especially the past hundred years that included events such as WWI and WWII. In addition, the Arab region has been through a lot of trouble. Hence, the region is rich with lessons, and history is full of lessons. We will benefit from all that, and we will try to have an independent personality in studying matters, in addition to benefiting from other countries’ experiences. All the figures you have mentioned were successful in running their countries, but the Syrian context is different."

"In our region, there are various definitions of democracy. If democracy means that the people decide who will rule them and who represents them in the parliament, then yes Syria is going in this direction."

"First of all, in the Islamic system women play a role. Whoever says that a conservative Islamic system does not allow a role for women has a misunderstanding of Islam. Of course women are almost half of society, and the majority of the human resources at universities now are women, and the job market is a wide labor market for women. The Syrian women are already working, so if a woman wants to work then the labor market is open to her."

"First, a federal system in Syria does not have popular acceptance, and I believe it is not in the best interest of Syria in the future because our communities are not used to practicing federacy, so people’s opinions would go to complete independence in the name of federacy."

"I believe that the gravest risk is the sanctions that the American administration is still imposing on Syria although all the reasons that led to issuing these sanctions have ended. Any prohibition targeting Syria represents a punishment to Syrian people who have suffered enough at the hands of the previous regime."

"I am trying as much as possible not to have Syria live on aid and support, but rather build its economy. Syria has a huge opportunity for investment, and these countries can, through their sovereign funds, make wide investments in Syria."

"In light of the new Syrian state, I believe any illegal military presence should not continue. Any military presence in a sovereign state should take place under a certain agreement, and there has been no such agreement between us and the United States of America."

"I believe the people of each country are more entitled to stay in their country. Why should people be displaced? Displacing people is such a big crime rejected by the law. In addition, Syria has just come out of war, and it is suffering big burdens. Syria should not be overwhelmed with new problems because we need long years to fix the sixty-year legacy of the regime, let alone having new problems added."

"Actually, we want peace with all parties, but there is great sensitivity regarding the Israeli matter in the region, especially after the big wars that took place and that they have been occupying a Syrian region called the Golan since 1967. We entered Damascus only two months ago, and there are many priorities in front of us, so it is too early to discuss such a matter because it requires wide public opinion. It also requires a lot of procedures and laws in order to discuss it, and to be honest, we have not considered it yet."

"Today we see new attempts to impose solutions that seek to draw new geographical maps at the expense of the blood of the Palestinian people, and the calls for the forced displacement of the Palestinian people from their territory are disgrace against humanity."

"The Arab countries must unite their stances and assume their responsibilities towards the Palestinian people."

"We confirm that Syria is a state of law. The law will take its course on all. We fought to defend the oppressed, and we won't accept that any blood be shed unjustly, or goes without punishment or accountability, even among those closest to us."

"There were clear statements from some regional countries that they want to destabilize the situation in Syria. There are some parties that lost out from the new reality in Syria and are trying to reestablish themselves and they only have these cheap means. We have seen their presence in more than one state, focusing on sectarian strife, spreading captagon, and political corruption. These are three components that are present in any country they enter. But we do not yet have clear evidence on which to build conclusions or practical steps."

"I mean, a delusional person can say whatever they want. Every person can imagine that he is suffering from some danger and carry out a preemptive strike and kill. But that is not justifiable."

"We do not want to distribute positions in Syria as gifts to sects, ethnicities, and other parties - rather, we distribute positions according to competence."

"To be honest, my chest tightens in this palace. I'm astonished by how much evil against society emanated from every corner. I have a balcony that overlooks Damascus. When I look at Damascus every day, I say: how could the previous regime look at Damascus and feel comfortable with what was happening there."

"Any chaos in Syria will damage not just neighboring countries but the whole world."

"Syria has been committed from the beginning, before we reached Damascus, to preventing its land from being used in any way that can threaten any foreign country."

"I was certain that liberating Aleppo was the key to victory, we prepared and equipped the armies, and we had never fought a war like we did for Aleppo, with our trust in God and the beginning of our forces advancing toward its walls, the enemy’s fortresses began to collapsed."

"Dear Syrians, see how your name is once again mentioned at forums and how Syrians are now valued and respected, after having been pushed out the door, deprived of their rights and left to their fate of killing, displacement, and humiliation."

"The battle for reconstruction has just begun, so let us all join hands and seek God’s help to create a bright future for a glorious country and people who deserve."

"From the heart of Aleppo, I declare to the world that our war with tyrants has ended, and our battle against poverty has already begun."

"Aleppo will be the greatest economic beacon."

"The past is present in the eyes of every person, on every street, in every family. But our duty now is not to repeat it. Not even as a softer version. We must create something entirely new."

"We are not starting from zero, We are starting from the depths."

"Dignity through work. Peace through purpose."

"A stable Syria will not be built through speeches or slogans — it will be built through action: in the marketplace, in classrooms, on farms, and in workshops. We will rebuild supply chains. Syria will return as a hub for trade and commerce."

"Every young man with a job is one less soul at risk of radicalization. Every child in school is a vote for the future."

"I want to be clear, the era of endless tit-for-tat bombings must end. No nation prospers when its skies are filled with fear. The reality is, we have common enemies and we can play a major role in regional security."

"Syria’s Druze are not pawns, they are citizens deeply rooted, historically loyal, and deserving of every protection under the law. Their safety is non-negotiable."

"Peace must be earned through mutual respect, not fear. We will engage where there is honesty and a clear path to coexistence and walk away from anything less."

"We will not be a pawn. Nor will we be a fortress. We will be a state that governs with legitimacy, not just control. We want the U.S. to partner with us in governance, in anti-corruption, in building institutions based on honesty and integrity."

"This is not a fairy tale, it is a recovery. And recoveries are painful."

"I accepted it because Syria must turn the page. And I would rather help write that history with others than watch it be torn apart again. We have no option but to succeed. We must make Syria great again."

"I want to express our satisfaction with the strong will that my brother Ahmet Şara has demonstrated in the fight against terrorism. … God willing, I believe that by acting in solidarity, we will fully establish an atmosphere of peace and security, free from terrorism, in our shared geography."

"He does not want Syria to be a new Taliban. He has said, and I think he means it, that he wants good relations with all his neighbors. And that was a striking thing to say because one of his neighbors is Israel, and he doesn't want a war."

"I think that's because he knows the country now is so weak. After the civil war in Syria and then the sanctions, which really brought the Assad regime to the point of total bankruptcy and starvation for many of its people, Syria is still under American, and to some degree, European sanctions."

"He knew he had to keep in a good relationship with Turkey, which was the benefactor of everything that was going on in that part of - it was the opposition, the one opposition part of Syria that was not controlled by the Assad regime. And what he did over the years was to moderate very successfully."

"I think very good. Young, attractive guy, tough guy, you know, strong pass. very strong pass fighter. He's got a he's got a real shot at pulling it together. I spoke with President . I'm very friendly with him. he uh he feels he's got a shot at doing a good job."

"The real test will be how committed he is to govern via the democratic playbook, and not just borrow the vocabulary."

"I believe his extremist and violent past has taught him how to navigate the future. You can change. You can grow. He has learned from experience, and twenty-twenty vision gives him the clarity to shape what comes next."

"He has grown from revolution to governance, and I believe he has the ability to lead and impact the real future of this country."

"There were no portraits of him on the wall, no slogans, no flags. Just a man trying to unite a map of Syria into a country of equals. He stands tall, firm in his resolve, with the odds set against him — but determined."

"He wants to build a future for his people, for the region, and for Syria to come out of the dark and take its rightful seat at the table of the world."

"He's not even pretending that he's going to bring a democracy to Syria. He's bringing an Islamic state to Syria in which Christians and others are allowed to take part, but it seems from the point of view of the Christians and the Alawites and the Druze that they're taking part on sufferance – and that's not acceptable. Syria is a very rich country, ethnically and culturally. And all of these groups have been there for centuries and form a vital part of the fabric of the society."

"He was cheered by even larger crowds and people picked up the car he was driving and carried it on their shoulders through the streets of Damascus. And the reason that they did this is that the man who preceded him, Salah Jadid, was so hated that they welcomed any change."

"The president of Syria is working very, very hard – strong guy, tough guy, pretty rough resume. But you're not going to put a choir boy in there and, you know, get the job done. I spoke with him yesterday because we were talking about the prisons and, you know, what was going on. We have some of the worst terrorists in the world in those prisons. And he's watching it."

"There are some who hold up the slogan: the fall of the regime. In contrast we demand the fall of the oppressive authoritarian system. Our problems are not problems of powers. The ruling powers in Damascus come and go. For us Kurds, this isn't so important. What is important is that we Kurds assert our existence. The current regime does not accept us, nor do those who will potentially come into power. Our politics differ from a politics that seeks power."

"We are profiting from the unrest. It is a historical chance for us. We have a right and are making use of it. We do not kill anyone and we also do not fight against anyone. We are preparing our people and ourselves for the period after the fall of the regime."

"We, as the Kurdish Freedom Movement, … reject classical models like federalism, con-federalism, self-government, and autonomy. Our goal is the formation of a new Kurdish society, the formation of a free person, a person with free will and free thought. … The point is to renew society from the bottom up."

"We consider anyone who does not publicly take a stand against the Turkish position to be one of Turkey's henchmen."

"Russia has recently been very vocal about the vicious crimes against us, but the US and Europe have not even condemned atrocities against civilian Kurds! Why are they ignoring attacks of these al-Qaeda related jihadists? … Everybody in Syria received international aid, but not us, the Kurds! On the contrary, we are under an embargo from all around."

"I do not know … why American officials are not willing to meet with us. … We have never had any animosity against America and the American people. Quite the opposite, we see our future in Western democracy, and we are trying to implement it in our own society. … The United States is the cradle of democracy and the American people support freedom for everyone. … There is no doubt that the interests of the American people are not contrary to ours."

"Until now, PYD members were jailed, captured and many of them killed by torture. If [the Assad government] calls for the Kurds, the Kurds cannot trust them. Actually, they have called us many times to have separate discussions. … The regime and the Salafists are the same. We don't believe that one of them is better than the others."

"We are not a small people; 15% of the population are Kurds. As you know, we can protect ourselves even from the regime and extremists. So we have to have a word in the solution. If they ignore the Kurds, they will not find a way to solve the Syrian problem. … Because the coalition [i.e. the Syrian National Coalition] doesn't recognize the Kurds, they cannot represent the Kurds [in the Geneva peace talks], only the coalition."

"Within one half-hour, we can stop all Kurdish forces and they will obey this, but for those groups [i.e. armed factions represented by the Syrian National Coalition] it is not true."

"Drawing and dying for borders is a European illness from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries."

"The [democratic Syrian] federalism we talk about is not a geographical line. Maybe tomorrow it's going to be expanded to Raqqa, and other places. … Maybe even the people of Daraa will join."

"We think of a democratic nation or democratic state, they [i.e. the Syrian National Coalition-affiliated Kurdish National Council] are still looking for a nation-state, which is different. We accept pluralism for living together with Arabs and other components [i.e. ethnic groups]. They are calling for a nation-state for the Kurdish people. They cannot accept Arabs and other minorities."

"If they [i.e. the US-backed Syrian Islamist opposition] accept to live in a secular country, in which everyone can express themselves, it's OK. We believe religion should be on the ethical side, not more than that. Religion should not be used as a tool for politics, which is not valid for the Muslim Brotherhood because they are looking to establish a caliphate. They should keep religion in the church and the mosque."

"Before [Öcalan] left Syria, we came together as a whole and discussed our situation. The formation of the PYD is, in fact, a result of this. Öcalan was trying to develop a strategic relationship between the Syrian regime and the Kurds in Rojava. However, the Syrian regime lacked the understanding and capacity to do so. If they had understood him, the situation in Syria today could be different. If they had listened to his suggestions and ideas, we could have seen a different Syria."

"Öcalan resurrected a dead people. The people were dying, about to be finished, but Mr. Öcalan didn't allow that; he pulled the Kurd out of the wolf's mouth."

"We were looking for a movement that would answer our questions and analyze the experiences of the Kurds. While we were [still] young, I learned from the [Kurdistan Workers' Party] cadres that the movement we were looking for had formed."

"They [i.e. the Syrian transitional government] say they want to enter into dialogue with all components [i.e. ethnic groups] in Syria. That is precisely why we are seeking contact with them. … We already have twelve years of experience living peacefully with all communities, so we can and want to help the transitional government. … We are not separatists. We want to help build the new Syria."

"Mr. Abdullah Öcalan firmly believes that political action is the best path forward. We align with this stance because in North and East Syria, we carried weapons only to defend ourselves. If the attacks against us stop, we will lay down our arms—we are not war enthusiasts."

"The leadership blocked this new plot through agreements and warnings, particularly about the risk of 'new Gazas' and the need for caution in Rojava."

"What everyone should know is this: it is the Kurds who defend democracy."

"The agreement [between the DAANES and the Syrian transitional government] is a beginning. The people must remain vigilant."

"He was a true patriot of the Syrian lands. He knew how to be fully Kurdish with the Kurds; an indispensable friend with the Arabs; a true brother with the Turks. … He was a cornerstone of Rojava that I always trusted, and he will remain so. I see him as the twin brother of Sırrı Süreyya, whom we lost during the Peace and Democratic Society Process."