Millions of Syrians paid last respects to President al-Assad
Syria, Politics, 6/14/2000

Millions of Syrians gathered On Tuesday since early dawn at he main Umayyads's square to pay the last respects to the great leader after 3 decades of parentally and brotherly relations which linked the Syrians to their President.

The crowds who took the streets from all parts of the capital gathered at the Umayyads Square. The coffin held on hands moved from the house of the late president into the square and then to al-Shaab palace were last respects were paid by Arab and foreign delegations came to Syria to offer condolence on the late president.

Condolences were offered by the following dignitaries and members of their accompanying delegations. President Muhammad Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, chief of staff of the Palestine Liberation army Lt. Gen. Tareq al-Khadra, Lebanese people and official delegations and the delegation of pressmen and editors in Lebanon; high ranking Lebanese army officers and internal security forces; Lebanese President Emil Lahoud, accompanied by Prime Minister Salim al-Hoss and speaker of parliament Nabih Berri; Lebanese deputy premier and minister of the Interior Michael al-Murr, the Lebanese Mufti Sheikh Muhammad Rashid Qabbani, acting Sheikh of al-Druz Sect Sheikh Bahjat Qeis, Lebanese scholar Muhammad Hussein Fadlullah, delegations representing Lebanese parliament members, ministers, politicians religious sects, the former Lebanese prime minister Rafik al-Hariri and his family, Kazakhistan ambassador in Damascus, representing his country; Iranian President Muhammad Khatami, Bahrain's crown prince Sheikh Suleiman Bin Hamad al-Khaleifa; US secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh; Ruler of Kuwait Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmad al- Sabah, Chairman of the PLO Yasser Arafat and members of the accompanying delegation; The secretary general of the Hizbullah party Hassan Nasrullah, the chairman of the Russian Duma council, Iraqi vice President Muhei eddine Marouf, President of the Republic of Bulgaria, Bangladesh's prime minister, the chairman of the progressive socialist party in Lebanon Walid Junblat; Oman's deputy prime minister, Lebanese chairman of the Islamic charity society in Lebanon Tammam Salaam, Algerian President Abdul Aziz Butaflika; British foreign minister Robin Cook, the chairman of the Phalangists party, a delegation representing Maronite patriarch Nasrullah Sfir, the delegation of the Amal movement; King Abdullah of Jordan; President of Malta, President of the Republic of Turkey, the Vatican's foreign minister, Pakistan's former prime minister Benazir Bhito; Qatar's minister of the Interior; Saudi Crown prince Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz; Sheikh Khaleifa Bin Zayed of the United Arab Emirates; French President Jacques Chirac, accompanied by foreign minister Hubert Vedrine, the Republic's mufti Sheikh Ahmad Kiftaro, China's deputy prime minister Ismael Ahmad, the representative for the republic of Turkmenistan, Romania's foreign minister, Holland's foreign minister; Finland's foreign minister; Somalia's prime minister, the chief of the European Commission Romano Brudi, the EU-ME peace process co-ordinator Moratinos, commander of the Lebanese army Lt. Gen. Micheal Suleiman, Canada's foreign minister X worthy, Germany's foreign minister Yushka Fischer; Speaker of the Austrian parliament Hanz Fischer, Ukraine deputy premier, Japan's foreign minister; the Secretary General of the AL Dr. Ismat Abdul Miguid; and dignitaries and foreign ministers representing India, Ghana, Thailand, Indonesia, Pakistan; Gambia, Cyprus, the UN, Norway, Eritrea; Luxembourg, Chile Nigeria, Switzerland, South Africa, Brunei, Switzerland, Belarus, the Czech republic, Slovenia, Spain, Portugal; Poland, Greece, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Yugoslavia, and Belgium. besides 100 foreign delegations paid last respects to the late President.

After last respect were paid in Damascus to the late president the coffin was taken carried on a gun-carriage to al-Mazzeh airport in Damascus and then via a Syrian plane to al-Qardaha where he was buried at the family's cemetery.

Previous Stories:
  Albright meets today with Bashar al-Assad   (6/13/2000)
  Arab and foreign delegations arrived in Damascus to take part in al-Assad's funeral, listing   (6/13/2000)
  Lt. Gen. Bashar al-Assad confers with Sudanese president, Saudi crown prince   (6/13/2000)
  On Arafat's visit to Damascus   (6/13/2000)
  Lt. Gen. Bashar al-Assad confers with commander of the Lebanese army   (6/13/2000)
  Iran, Cuba, mourn President al-Assad, Iran praises the hero of resistance   (6/12/2000)
  Syria mourns her president   (6/12/2000)

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