Barbara Walters’ Assad Interview Draws Praise, Censure

"Barbara Walters’ Assad Interview Draws Praise, Censure" by Reut Cohen for Neon Tommy, December 8, 2011:

Barbara Walters' interview with Syria's President Bashar al-Assad—excerpts of which aired on Wednesday—has earned the veteran journalist both praise and censure.

Clips of the ABC interview show Assad denying that he ordered a brutal crackdown on Syrian dissidents.

"We don’t kill our people," he said. "No government in the world kills its people, unless it’s led by a crazy person."

Assad also denied that he is in charge of the army.

"Many people criticize me, did they kill all of them, who killed who, most of the people that have been killed are supporters of the government not the vice versa," Assad told Walters.

A United Nations Commission report has estimated that 4,000 protestors have been killed since March. Assad did not acknowledge the report and asked to see evidence that his regime has committed crimes against humanity.

"They don't have even the names, who are the rape people or who are the tortured people who are they, we don't have any names, they didn't," the Syrian president said.

Walters pressed Assad on abuse, citing the murder of Hamza al-Khateeb, a 13-year-old boy who was detained after a protest and tortured by authorities. [...]

Read it all here.

Posted in: Bashar al-Assad,Human Rights,Neon Tommy,Syria