The late President, Hafez Assad confirmed that Syria’s objective is to restore the usurped rights; " We have fought in order to restore the land and rights. The struggle has been carried on to realize such objective. The wars we have fought and sacrificed for were not for the sake of exercising our strength or for the mere love of strife. We have always fought, to defend our right and dignity and to free the land.", "We want the honorable peace that will be acceptable to our peoples and will not cede a grain of our Homeland. It is the peace under which neither our rights will be relinquished nor the dignity of our Nation will be neglected".

The preparation stages were confined to Syria and Egypt being the two Countries capable of stirring the military and political situation under the general and particular circumstances prevailing at the time. It was obvious that any war to be waged against Israel would be a limited one because the international community would not support the Arabs further than liberating the territories occupied in 1967. It was by the end of 1972 that Syria and Egypt thought of the preparations for initiating the battle. Egypt set up the "Planning Commission" which was instructed to immediately consider the Israeli military potentials. After exhausting studies, it was concluded that the Israeli army’s fighting capabilities were based on four basic factors:

 • A powerful air force,

• Adequate equipment and logistics living active support of land and marine forces,

• A reliance on the USA in risky times, and

• Training programs that ensure the highest technical standard of the warriors.

The following basic negative phenomena appeared in the meantime on the Israeli military situation:

• The control of vast territories resulted in very long transportation roads between the battle fields and the basic concentration points.

• The limited population potential necessarily imposed a limited fighting capability for a limited span of time.

• The economy which depended on foreign support and subsidy found itself unable to stand a long fighting period.

• The long disconnected fighting lines left vast open gaps of land full of Arabs who obviously opposed to the occupation.

Consultations continued until Syria agreed, in the meeting held in Damascus on June 12, 1973 between the two Presidents Hafez Al-Assad and Anwar Al-Sadat, to hold talks with the Egyptian side to set the bases of coordination between the Syrian and Egyptian armies. Soon after, both sides approved the plan of attacking Israel simultaneously from the north and south. The military operations coordinators initiated the first step early in February 1973 by working within one strategy to train the armed forces and provide them with a variety of equipment and weaponry necessary for the fight this required sophisticated weapons and advanced technological equipment to encounter the Israeli army. The Soviets agreed, in May 1973, to provide Syria and Egypt with the requested weaponry and to finalize the construction of a ground-to-air missile network similar to that available in Egypt. In the meantime Syria received the modern T-62 tanks, modern interceptor modified MIG-21MF planes.

Egypt, on the other hand, got a sufficient quantity of weapons which included planes, tanks, guided missiles and various ammunition. Hence the units dedicated to the war were ready and provided with the sophisticated weaponry awaiting the zero-hour which would be foreseen by such coordinators to be 14h00 on October 6th, 1973:

• Upon realizing, by the morning of October 6th, 1973 that the War was inevitably breaking out shortly, the Israeli Command put at alert only the regular forces and compulsory units of 95,000 men besides the most important personnel of the reserve fighting forces (commanders only ) taking for granted that the regular army, supported by the air force, would be able to quickly deal with the events to take place along the fronts of fight. The Government held a session on October 5th, 1973 attended by the Chief-of Staff, to discuss the extraordinary circumstances and the Arab military movements as indicated by the Intelligence reports the session called for the utmost alert of regular and compulsory units besides the important personnel of the fighting reserve forces only. This implied the excessive self-confidence and belittling of the other side strength.

• The high-ranking war generals, headed by the two Generals Moshe Dayan and David Ali’azar, so belittled and completely disregarded the Arab military preparations that they declared that the Israeli army would surely be able to defeat and crush, within 48 hours, any attack through the Suez Canal. This was confirmed by the Israelis on the assumption that it would take Egyptians 24 hours to build up bridges and another 24 hours to cross the Canal, which would give them enough time to call for the strategic Israeli reserve forces to newly defeat the Egyptians and compel them to yield to the Israeli conditions.

DAMASCUS, (ST)_ On the 43rd  Anniversary of October Liberation War, the Syria Times is honored to publish the historic speech of the late President Hafez Al-Assad on this occasion:

Brotherly citizens,

Our brave soldiers and army officers,

Our  great people,

I salute each and every one of you. I address in you, today, the true Arabian spirit, the spirit of courage and heroism, the spirit of sacrifice and giving.

I address in you, your love to the homeland, and your faith in the cause you have decided to defend. For more than a week, the enemy has been mobilizing  and premeditating its forces, thinking it will deal a treacherous blow to us. But we were vigilant enough to monitor its movements and cantonments, and to repel its new potential aggression.  We did not allow the enemy to take us by surprise. So, our armed forces respond appropriately  to it  . Our brothers in Egypt did  not allow  the aggression  to take them by surprise. The great army of Egypt rushed to defend the dignity of Egypt and the dignity of the Arab Nation. Greetings to our army and  to our people, and a tribute to the army of Egypt and the great Arab people of Egypt.

I must at these  crucial moments pay  another tribute  from the heart to the  brave military forces ,  who came to our  country from our  Arab brotherly country of Morocco to take part in the  battle of pride and dignity and to sacrifice their blood generously ,  shoulder to shoulder with their brothers in Syria and Egypt . Thereby, they embody the unity of the nation, the common destiny and the  sanctity of the goal.

Today , we are fighting the battle of honor and pride, in defense of our precious land, for our glorious history , and of the heritage of our forefathers. We fight  the  battle, equipped  with faith in God and in ourselves; and with the solid  and compelling determination  that victory will be on our side.

Israel is stubborn  and is  hit  by vanity,  and arrogance filled the heads of its officials. They continued their crime  and aggression. Their hearts  are filled with black hatred  against our people and against humanity. They are fret with thirst for bloodshed. Their footsteps disregard the principles and ideals of humanitarian principles and sublime morals and the international laws and resolutions.

Such persons are, the same, like their predecessors, among  the advocates of war,  do not confine themselves  to a limit, nor get deterred , unless they are deterred  by people who believe in their own  right, and fight for their freedom and own  existence.

 While we do our duty to defend our land and the honor of our nation, we are ready to make every sacrifice and accept all challenges in order to win the right and win principles, so that  just peace would prevail.

Brotherly citizens,

Adversity is the touchstone for the nature of peoples, and a test for their authenticity. The more severe the crisis is, the more the pure  metal revealed and the entrenched originality confirmed .

You are the sons of a nation, which has been known throughout history for stances of manhood and pride, of heroism and redemption.  You are the sons of the nation that had carried the message of light and faith into all the corners of the earth, and  the  entire world was a witness to its  highest traits and noblest morals.

You are the  descendants of Abu Bakr, Omar, Othman, Ali, God bless them.  You are the  grandchildren  of Khalid, Abu Obeida, and Amre, and Saad, and Salah al-Din.  The conscience of our nation calls on us, and the souls of our martyrs ignite us as to abide by the teachings  reflected in  Yarmouk, Qadisiya, Hittin, and  Ein Jallout. The  eyes and hearts  of the masses of our nation from  the Atlantic to the Gulf are now clinging   to our great steadfastness .These masses  are all hope and  confidence  that we are proceeding towards  ultimate victory.

Dear brave soldiers and army officers,

We are the rightful  owners and the owners of a just cause, and God grant victory to the one who is  rightful defending his right. You are defending today the honor of the Arab nation, preserving its  dignity and existence, and  rendering sacrifices , so that the future generations  are to live satisfied and secure.

 By accident , it  is the  will of the Almighty God that your Jihad  is in  one of the days of  the holy month, the month of Ramadan, the month of jihad. The month of the Battle of Badr, the month of victory. A bright chapter in the history of our armed forces  to be added   to the many chapters of  heroism and sacrifice, testified by the blood of our martyrs  throughout the history of our country and   Arab nation .

Our ancestors have won victory through faith , sacrifice and  through their racing  to win martyrdom in defense of our divine religion and the rightful message . Today, through your courage  and heroism , you have revived  these  spirits alongside the  glorious  Arab tradition.

Your weapon is  but a deposit  in your hands , that you have  to use properly. The honor of the Arab soldier is your responsibility  and the future of our peoples is in your hand,  for the sake of which you  have to fight relentlessly.

Our  people whose sons  survive great  enthusiasm stand, one line,  behind you, protecting your back lines , and supporting your struggle by all means .  The masses of our Arab nation stand  behind our people. This position by the Arab nation is dedicated by national duty  in this crucial phase.  Behind our people, there also many friends in the world who stand in support of our cause and struggle.

We are not amateurs of killing and destruction, but we are repulsing murder and destruction from ourselves.

We are not the aggressors and never were   aggressors; but we were and are still defending ourselves, repulsing the aggression.

We do not want death to anyone, but we repulse death off our people.

We love freedom and we want it for ourselves and for others. We are  struggling  today ,  so that our people will  enjoy  their freedom.

We are advocates of peace, and  we work for peace for the sake of  our people and for all the peoples of the world. And we struggle  today in order to live in peace .

Proceed with God's blessing, when Allah render you victory, no one would defeat you.

Peace be upon you

Dr. Mohammad Abdo Al-Ibrahim

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President Hafez Al-Assad

Interviews    Speeches  Words  Pictures

The ongoing war of foreign-backed terrorism is on for the 6^th year and the task of any national media means is but to depict reality as it has been unfolding on the ground. Notwithstanding the largest Western and Ewes' media campaigns, the Syriatimes Online has , as a teamwork editorial group, spared no efforts , and up to the utmost of what the small group of journalists have, as to depict the reality.

"We have to talk about the facts." As outlined by H.E. President Bashar Al-Assad in his NBC News interview, JULY 14, 2016.  As "the war shocked many Syrians and took them in the wrong direction without them realizing that, because of the media which invented stories and because of their inability to read reality, which was foggy then." President Assad's Ria Novosti and Sputnik interview, MARCH 30-31, 2016.

"That has been  the problem with the West and propaganda; they use unverified information to accuse Syria and to blame it and then to take action against it." President Assad's EL PAIS interview, February 21, 2016.  Our honorable task has been as to address the other! The task was difficult but it has been the call of duty as to add and contribute to what other Syrian and honest mass media means and journalists are doing, where they at times pay their lives when tens of Syrian journalists were martyred or wounded.

The anti-Syria media means have left no stone unturned as to fabricate, distort and implement terrorism as a propaganda means in an endless chain of disinformation. Demonization  and treason. We have no such ability to falsify nor the sophisticated means. We , however, are stronger because , here there are the facts on the ground and the Syrian hero Army, allies and President Assad, the defender of all humanity.

On the fourth  anniversary of the re-launching of the Syria Times, I am indeed honored to publish some samples of the interactive contributions and messages received from our readers from October 2015 till now:

Dear Syria Times: I love Syria and the Syrian people. You are fighting for the freedom of the world and God is sustaining you! I saw Andrew Zimmermans's program in Syria and photos of your country on trekearth.com, and I said: " I must visit this beautiful country with lovely people living in the midst of ancient culture." Sorry for what my government is doing to you. God bless you and I hope that peace returns soon to Syria.

Sincerely, Terry Gleason

It is a year of direct fight against Al-Qaeda affiliated terrorists in Syria by the Federal Republic of Russia. It is a short span of time but decisive in definite in fighting terrorism along with the Syrian Army and its allies. The Russian principled stance and  humanitarian intervention at the request of the Syrian Leadership not only noble in terms of fighting terrorists, many of them came from former Soviet Union territories, thanks to the Wahabbi petrodollars and US conspiracies, but further in dropping humanitarian air drops to the besieged by the cannibals in different corners of Syria. The blessed Russian intervention to fight terrorism with the Syrians on behalf of the entire world id expose the reality about the ongoing in new-colonial and US war against Syria!

In celebration of Russia's ongoing one year of fighting terrorism in defence of all humanity, civilization and light against barbarity, ignorance and darkness, the Syria Times Online publishes some of President Bashar Al-Assad's quotes about the strategic and pivotal role of Russia:

The moment the Syrian Arab Army liberates an area from terrorists, voices in the West begin to express worry about civilians and their humanitarian situation, calling for a truce and the delivery of aid! The harmony between the situation the terrorists find themselves in and the West’s worries has become apparent at different junctures.

This proves that the West, which had occupied Iraq with its own troops, has only changed its tactics, using instead proxies in the form of terrorist groups that are funded, armed, and directed from abroad. We saw many countries moving in their troops and heavy weapons when these terrorist groups failed to achieve the objectives planned for them.

Therefore, the results of the meeting between Kerry and Lavrov on 9 September indicates without a doubt that the difficulty of having any dialogue is rooted in the fact that it is between those who targeted Syria, and those who stood firm in protecting the Syrian state and people.

What is happening then? How did those who arm and fund terrorists sit down at one table with those trying to preserve Syria’s sovereignty?

Many factors led to this historical juncture, and said factors may be reinforced in the future. Those who planned for the “Arab Spring” recalled the domino effect theory that dominated Western thinking when Iraq was occupied, and hoped that after Egypt and Tunisia, Syria would be an easy prey for regime change, and for a shift in its political identity – to Israel’s liking.

Russia and China’s alliance at the United Nations to support Syria’s sovereignty was a precedent in international politics, especially in the emerging confrontation between the Russia-China Axis and the Western Axis of the United States, Great Britain, and France. The Syrian people have returned the favor to the Russia-China axis by standing fast and making the dearest sacrifice to preserve the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of their country.

Yet those who sought to break Syria’s will kept up their attempts, and imported mercenaries from all over the world, trying to achieve their objectives in Syria, which would have subsequently changed the face of the region –and the world. Syria and her allies, however, were more determined in this crucial battle, and despite the weakness of their material capabilities as opposed to what the Gulf has paid in support to the West, the Eastern Axis defending the right of the Syrian people was able to reaffirm its stature on both the regional and international scene.

If we compare the latest G20 summit in China, and the 2014 G20 summit in Brisbane, Australia, we see how far the Eastern Axis has come in asserting itself vis-à-vis the West. In the 2014 summit, July Bishop, the Australian foreign minister, demanded that Russia should not be allowed to attend the summit, yet the BRICS countries foiled the attempt; nonetheless, the pictures taken at that summit show how no Western leader wanted to talk to President Putin.

In the latest summit in China, however, we see that Presidents Putin and Xi have take a central role in the summit, and the bilateral meetings held between Russia and China on the one hand and other countries on the other hand, and the agreements signed, all indicate an expanding role for both on the international scene. This is especially true of the agreements they signed with Saudi Arabia, because the latter always needed an American green light to make any move (including this one).

This, therefore, indicates that the West admits that we are entering a new multipolar era. As for the Chinese President, he looked Obama in the eye and told him that China refuses any interference in the internal matters of other countries.

The historical trajectory of international relations has reached the point of multipolarity in parallel to the steadfastness of the Syrian army and people. The results of the Kerry-Lavrov meeting, following talks between Putin and Obama, have brought the US close to what Russia has been calling for, for nearly two years, which is the separation between terrorist organizations and the so-called moderate opposition, and the targeting of terrorist groups by both the Russian and American air forces.

Isn’t this what President Putin repeatedly called for, i.e. a true international coalition against terrorism?

The US acquiescence to joining forces with Russia against terrorism in Syria, is the result of Russia, Syria, and Iran standing firm during the horrific war on Syria; it is also an admission that the terrorists and their masters have failed in achieving their objectives. Why then wait all these years to agree? Simply, because they still had hope to change the balance of forces on the ground. It is no surprise then that this agreement comes after the Syrian Army advances in Damascus, Aleppo, Hama, and Lattakia.

Because the sacrifices of the martyrs and the wounded are what made such an agreement possible, and contributed to changing our world from a unipolar to a multipolar one. Lavrov did not forget to indicate that Russia consulted the Syrian government about the agreement, and that the latter had agreed to it.

Those who interfered in Syria dreamt they could change the identity of the country, forgetting that for the past 10,000 years, Syria remained defiant in the face of all conquerors and enemies; and that the historical sacrifices of the Syrian people made this identity what it is, and would always ensure Syria’s pride and freedom.

Dr Bouthaina Shaaban
Political and Media Advisor to Syrian President, Bashar Al Assad

Dr Shaaban official Facebook page.

M.A.