Presidential Candidate Hassan al-Nouri to ST: President Al-Assad Won the War Against Terrorism
The presidential candidate Hassan al-Nouri has said the crisis in Syria has moved into its final ‘dangerous’ phase and he is trying to convince the silent majority group, who doesn’t care about the presidential vote, to elect the leader of their country.
Speaking to the Syriatimes e-newspaper, Mr. al-Nouri made it clear that the final phase of the crisis is dangerous because there will be irrational and unethical actions by those who have been involved in the crisis to minimize their losses.
The recent decision of France and Germany to prevent the Syrians living in their countries from voting in the first multi-candidate election, set on May 28th for the Syrians abroad, is among the irrational actions.
“The decision shows that these two countries have no respect for the human rights and it will create problems to both countries even with their peoples,” al-Nouri said.
Naivety of Holland
“I think that the French President Francois Holland made a stupid and naïve mistake that the politicians shouldn’t do. I can understand the naivety of Holland as he is the worst president ever in France’s history, but I do not understand why the German Chancellor Angela Merkel decided to join France in its naïve decision”.
He sees that no more European countries will follow in France and Germany’s footsteps because there will be consequences for such decision.
“France and Germany were pressed by the US Administration to thumb their nose at a sovereign country’s internal issue in order to undermine the credibility of the election. But it is hopeless bid , Mr. al-Nouri said, in reference to intervention in Syria’s presidential election.
Erdogan is getting confused
As for the regional countries that have been involved in the ongoing crisis in Syria, al-Nouri underscored that the Turkish government has burnt all ships behind it and it is getting confused, while Saudi Arabia is going backwards.
Openness signals
“The recent reshuffle in Saudi Arabia and the Iranian-Saudi rapprochement are indications of a shift. The new moderate comers to the leadership in Saudi Arabia- Muqrin bin Abdulaziz, Miteb bin Abdulaziz and Abdulaziz bin Abdullah, are not against Syria and they are not Syrians’ enemies. The current Foreign Minister in Saudi Arabia, Saud al-Faisal, has destroyed his diplomatic and political carriers as he intervened in the crisis in Syria in a wrong way.”
He sees that one of the main topics for the three men- Muqrin, Miteb and Abdulaziz– is not to stop Saudi’s involvement in the crisis, rather gradually change their country’s involvement in Syria.
Mr. al-Nouri stressed that Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad has started to send signals for openness with Syria.
As for the US Administration’s role in the crisis, Mr. al-Nouri said that the Americans supported the terrorist groups operating in Syria to a certain extent in order to force President Bashar al-Assad to step down but al-Assad won the war against terrorism.
Americans “out of patience”
“The Americans did not expect that the crisis would last for a long period of time. They wrongly estimated that Syria will not survive the crisis and the government will be toppled in a few months. I know the American mentality as I lived in the US for many years, they are out of patience with the crisis that entered its fourth year with military victories by the Syrian Arab army.”
The Americans got frustrated and they started to think about how to overcome the return of the terrorists to their homeland. They are afraid of these terrorists who have realized that those countries involved them in the crisis and handed off.
Talks with the west
In addition, the terrorists affiliated to al-Nusra Front and the so-called the ‘Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant’ are no longer feel comfortable in Syria due to the successive blows being delivered to them by the Syrian Arab army and they feel now that they are not supported enough by Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, EU and the US like before.
So, Mr.al-Nouri thinks that the new leader of Syria, whether he or Mr. Maher Hajjar or Mr. Bashar al-Assad, should hold dialogue with the west until then.
He confirmed that there is no way to end the crisis without the victory of the Syrian army. “There is no difference over national principles and the strategy of fighting terrorism.”
Opposition
Mr. al-Nouri added that coalition opposition, which is linked to different international and regional intelligence agencies, is not qualified to participate in reaching a solution to the crisis.
“The members of the coalition are living in five stars hotels abroad and they have not visited Syria to know the needs of people.”
“I highly respect the internal opposition and the people who formed new parties in Syria, but I disagree with their opinion about presidential election because they said that the election should not be conducted before the end of the crisis. What if the crisis did not finish soon?!”
Silent majority group
Mr. al-Nouri , who has received the support of 35 members of parliament to make his run official, is an independent candidate and has no party to support his campaign.
He described himself as a strong businessman and he added that he is seeking to convince the silent majority group that doesn’t care about the presidential election and cares only about food, security, shelter, health and job, to elect the new leader of Syria.
This group, as Mr. al-Nouri said, has not decided yet who to vote for and it even has not decided to take part in the electoral process.
My respect to Syria
“If you ask me whether I will win this election, probably no because one of the candidate is very very strong, but I am doing very well. Actually, the most important thing for me is my respect to myself, my love and respect to my country and how my country reacts with me”
He received messages from people that they will vote for Mr. Bashar al-Assad but they respect his platform.
The platform of the presidential candidate, Mr. Al-Nouri, strongly supports the reconciliation process that helps misled gunmen to return to the bosom of the homeland and considers the stop of violence and rebuilding Syria’s infrastructure and human being as priorities.
In addition, Al-Nouri asserts in his platform the importance of the return of the middle class and combating corruption.
Free market economy
The economic situation is essential and it was one of the factors that facilitated the pass of the global terrorist war on Syria, according to Mr.al-Nouri.
He sees that it is possible to apply free market economy in Syria despite the EU sanctions being imposed on it as the term ‘ free market economy’ doesn’t mean trading.
“Free market economy is a mechanism. It is an organizational structure and culture that everyone has the right to apply. It means free techniques, free rules, free mechanism when you deal with business,” he said.
Mr. al-Nouri concluded by saying: “I will make a big shock at the end and you will hear my name a lot after the election.”
Interviewed by: Basma Qaddour & Ibrahim Zaaboub