Shaaban: We’ve Passed Most Dangerous Moment

Tuesday 10 May 2011

Shaaban: We’ve Passed Most Dangerous Moment

Comment:
Hasbara sites circulated rumers that Maher slapped Bouthaina Shaaban on the face for talking about comming reforms. Moreover, I heard a fake neice of Farouk Ah-sharia, claming that her uncle dissapeared. On the same day ( Martyrs Day) Farouk appeared on Syrian channel shaking hands with Bashar

Shaaban: We’ve Passed Most Dangerous Moment

Local Editor

Syrian President Bashar Al Assad’s advisor Bouthaina Shaaban assured that the Syrian government has taken control over the situation and is prepared to weather international condemnation and sanctions.

This comes after the European Union added Tuesday 13 names, including the president’s younger brother Maher Al Assad, to the list of Syrian officials that sanctions are applied on.

In an interview with the New York Times newspaper, Shaaban said “I hope we are witnessing the end of the story”, adding “I think now we’ve passed the most dangerous moment. I hope so, I think so”.

Al Assad’s Advisor indicated that “nearly 100 soldiers and members of security forces were killed by armed militants who are manipulating the legitimate demands of the people… we think those are a combination of fundamentalists, extremists, smugglers, people who are ex-convicts and are being used to make trouble”.

Shaaban told the US daily that “you can’t be very nice to people who are leading an armed rebellion”, clarifying that “we see what happened in Syria as an opportunity to try to move forward on many levels, especially the political level”.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Syrian news agency SANA quoted military sources as saying that security forces have arrested various insurgents who caused riots and sabotaged properties in Deraa.

“The army units and security forces arrested scores of wanted persons and seized a big quantity of weapons, ammunition and explosives which were prepared to attack members of army and security forces, public and private properties”, SANA reported.

On his part, the Syrian President met Monday with religious scholars, and received delegations from various Syrian provinces and cities, in a step aimed at revealing the importance of internal unity and solidarity against foreign schemes.