Following are excerpts from a public address delivered by Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Mu'alem, which aired on Syrian TV on June 22, 2011.
"There will Not be a No-Fly Zone Over Syria… [and] No Foreign Military Intervention in Syria"
Walid Mu'alem: "Unfortunately, since the crisis broke out in Syria, not a single European official has come here to discuss what is going on with us. Relying on information that they receive from outside Syria, they began to impose a series of sanctions. Today, they are targeting the daily bread of the Syrians, and this is tantamount to a declaration of war.
"As foreign minister, I say to you what I said in Parliament in 2006: We will forget that Europe exists on the map. I will recommend to my leadership that we suspend our membership in the Union for the Mediterranean. We have already suspended our dialogue in the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership. We will forget about Europe's existence on the map, and we will turn to the east and the south, and to whatever direction from which people reach out to Syria. The world does not consist of Europe alone. Syria will remain steadfast, as it has been since 2003. Just as it shattered the attempts to isolate it back then, it is able to overcome the present situation.
"I tell you in advance, based on my experience, that there will not be a no-fly zone over Syria. I tell you that there will be no foreign military intervention in Syria. The scandals in which they are involved in Libya are more than enough for them. But Libya is an oil-rich country, and they will be compensated for the money they spent on the no-fly zone. Obviously, this is not merely a no-fly zone. They are part of the military campaign taking place in Libya. There isn't any no-fly zone without an aerial military operation.
"Perhaps Syria is lucky enough not to have the oil that would entice them, and that would compensate them for the expenses involved in such an operation. Don't you think it strange that the U.S. invaded Iraq, and that the Congress is now demanding that Iraq cover the expenses of the invasion – although they themselves are responsible for the loss of 18 billion dollars worth of Iraqi oil? Nothing comes without a price, in the eyes of the West.
"Therefore, I reiterate that despite what is written in the Turkish press, such a campaign will not take place." […]
"France Must Put an End to Its Colonialist Activities… After the Reforms have been Completed, We will be Giving Others Lessons in Democracy"
"Our youth and the Palestinian youth, who tried to cross the separation wall in the Golan Heights and elsewhere, were trying to say that there is no peace process. People's rights must be regained the same way they were plundered. Israel will continue to be the enemy as long as the occupation continues. […]
"I do not want to return to the colonialist history of France, which will not repeat itself. Perhaps Mr. Juppé harbors such ideas. We must not forget that several months ago, France annexed the Mayotte island, which lies in the Indian ocean, and which belongs to the Arab Republic or the Comoros Islands. So this is not just ancient colonialism, but it is taking place in our times. Therefore, I will not linger too long over what this Juppé or that Juppé says, when he hands out legitimacy from his suitcases to one leader or another. This man still lives in the illusion of the colonialist era of France, and he will have no influence whatsoever on the issue of Syria. […]
"France must put an end to its colonialist activities, which is carried out under the guise of human rights. […]
"We will not take lessons from anyone, and after the reforms have been completed, we will be giving others lessons in democracy. […]
"The Syrian caravan will move on, no matter how much the dogs bark.
Applause from audience […]
"I would like to take advantage of this question in order to congratulate Mr. Nabil Al-Arabi for his appointment as Secretary-General of the Arab League, and in order to say to Mr. Amr Moussa: Goodbye."
Chuckles from audience […]
Journalist: "Are we to infer from what you are saying today that is the beginning of the end of the crisis?"
Walid Mu'alem: "What crisis?"
Journalist: "The crisis in the country…"
Walid Mu'alem (laughing): "Allah willing."
