Seale on the new changes in Syria
Syria, Politics, 6/15/2000

British writer and journalist Patrick Seale has stated that the work team of Bashar Hafez al-Assad is carrying out its assigned work, adding that this did not take place on June 10 ( when President Hafez Assad died ) as some circles talked about, but rather has taken place during the two past years, gradually.

In an interview with the " Orient radio" on Wednesday Seale gave an example of that. He said that Bashar al-Assad was assigned the responsibility of the Lebanese track almost since two years and indicated the need of forming a new Syrian government. He said all these happened at the directives of Bashar al-Assad. Besides interests in sciences, technology and the Internet have been accorded the great care of Bashar al-Assad in the recent years.

Seale, who has become a reference in the Syrian affairs, thanks to his friendship with President Hafez al-Assad since 25 years, indicated that fighting corruption and bribes was made at the encouragement of Bashar al-Assad. A matter which means that the successor of the Syrian president had put his men at the positions of power and decision making.

Seale added the main burden before Bashar al-Assad now is to make a fundamental change inside and outside his country especially in the area of the peace process and the internal condition.

Seale concentrated on the future attempts of Bashar al-Assad to have interest on the economy, free the banking system, improve investment conditions and reactivate government work mechanism so as to permit bringing back home assets and sums deposited by the Syrian and the Arabs of the Gulf states. Seale stressed that the inclination of the coming Syrian President Bashar al-Assad are inspired from his father's stances and the political heritage the late president left behind.

Patrick Seale said that the successor of the Syrian President Hafez al-Assad will be persistent in calling for restoring back the whole of the Golan heights up to the June 4, 1967 border line and that he will not give concessions, although he might be ready to show flexibility to reaching an agreement on other several matters which relate to waters, security arrangements and the timetable for withdrawal, but these do not mean his readiness to give even one seed of the Syrian soil.

Seale, on the other hand, revealed a European interest in the new Syrian leadership, more than the interest shown by the US.

He justified this difference in interests to the concern of the US President Bill Clinton with domestic political considerations of the coming elections.

Seale said that the participation of the French President Jacques Chirac and other European leaders in President al-Assad's funeral is a recognition of the role played by Syria in the Middle East and the peace process.

Previous Stories:
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  Albright: I felt very encouraging indicators on Bashar's intention to peace   (6/14/2000)
  Lt. Gen. Bashar al-Assad hold separate meetings with several Arab, world leaders   (6/14/2000)
  On Junblat's defense of al-Shehabi   (6/10/2000)
  Khaddam, Hariri seen off al-Shehabi when he left for the US   (6/8/2000)
  No link between the Baath party elections and the campaign on corruption in Syria   (5/23/2000)
  New Syrian leadership of a majority of new faces   (5/18/2000)

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