"What has taken place in Gaza, and before in Lebanon two years back, can be read as a multi-faceted message: first, we solve our problems by ourselves; the owners of the cause themselves solve their problems; secondly, it is to have the more of steadfastness, and thirdly, it is to be more combative in defending the rights," said His Excellency President Bashar Al-Assad in an exclusive interview with Al-Manar Satellite TV.

Regarding Gaza Victory, His Excellency President Al-Assad outlined: "If the aim of the enemy was to destroy the houses, whether in Lebanon or in Gaza, in accordance with aim criterion, the enemy won destroying the houses. If the aim was also to kill the civilians, the enemy won. But if the aim was to eliminate the Resistance, to hit the idea of the Resistance, to hit the idea of steadfastness, to achieve other objectives on the ground like the uprooting of the Resistance structure, the enemy failed. Israel was founded on the idea or on a motto saying ‘it does not matter if they like me, what matters is when they are afraid of me’; today this motto has failed; where Israel faces another motto: ‘they neither like me, nor are afraid of me,’" asserting that the Victory of Gaza has bolstered the Arab Nation Pride, Steadfastness and Resistance Approach.

"The power of the Syrian Policy lies in its dependence on the popular public opinion regarding different issues, domestic as well as foreign ones; such a sameness in the official and popular stances is a persistent characteristic for us in Syria, We have been exposed, especially in Syria and the resistance trend, to media attacks as to create a situation of frustration and as to convince us with failure; we have resorted to the conveying of information to the citizen, as possible as we can, and to communicate with the citizen to know his/her viewpoint. That is why we have had this identical sameness between the official stance and the popular one." outlined President Al-Assad asserting that the consequent victories of the Resistance would lead but to other victories, not military ones in necessity, but political victories as "to restore the rights".

"Israel does not care for the United Nations, Security Council, UN Charter, and Arab League, or for its resolutions, regardless of the resolutions nature. Israel understands the de fact language; where it depends, since its existence and before since the beginning of the Zionist Project, on the imposition of the de facto on Arabs. So, we have to depend on the imposition of the de facto on Israel. This is the political Investment. If we were to depend on international, regional or on other structure, we would achieve nothing," declared His Excellency President Al-Assad in reply to a question, negating the existence of so-called different axes in the region, though of some difference among Arab countries regarding some issues pertaining to Lebanon, Palestine, and Iraq.

In reply to a question regarding Arab Reconciliation during Kuwait Summit, President Al-Assad reiterated the need for detailed dialogue to build on the taken place ‘ice-breaking’ during the Summit, pledging to leave no stone unturned as to reinforce the badly-needed for Arab Solidarity. "From a logical viewpoint, Egypt has an interest to see the Syrian-Saudi relations as good and even warm, and vice versa," said President Al-Assad, adding: "Our stance in Syria is clear as far as our support for the Resistance under any circumstances; every occupation should be encountered with the Resistance," said H. E. President Al-Assad, pointing out, in reply to what some might view as a mistake, that " Iran is a friend country, a neighbor, and a very important country in the region."

In reply to a question regarding the ongoing Egyptian mediated efforts as far as the Palestinian reconciliation, H. E. President Al-Assad said: "We have an interest when Egypt would make a success; Egypt is present geographically and directly on the borders with Gaza; it is a very influential country to this effect, Whether to succeed or not depends on Egypt’s relations with diverse Palestinian parties. To succeed as a mediator, you have to gain the confidence of all the parties with no exception. This depends also on the performance of the Egyptian officials as far as this issue. So the question is whether this is to be possible; of course, it is possible. But what are the basics and demands? These demands are Palestinian ones coming through and from the diverse parties and the Authority- Palestinian Authority-" asserting also that Syria has been in continued dialogue with Palestinians; as dialogue but never ever in any form of exerting pressures or dictations, welcoming, further, any Yemeni or Turkish role to this effect.

In reply to a question regarding the Syrian-Iranian relations, President Al-Assad said: "they are firm and continuously improving; they are strategic relations, which have proved their efficiency and importance in all of the issues which our region has been passing through since the Revolution in Iran in 1979. They are not transitory relations; Iran has a civilization of thousands of years, as we do have. We have no option but to be in a stable and enduring relation," asserting that the real enemy for Arabs, as some try to create an alternative enemy for Arabs other than Israel, is not Iran, but Israel itself, reiterating the Syrian preparedness, as always, to play a mediation role between Arabs and Iran; "We are first and foremost Arabs and with Arabs; being with Arabs, however, should never entail that we have to be against others,"

"The Arab Peace Initiative (API) without peace has no value. If peace was to be realized on the bases of the Peace Terms of Reference (PTR) - UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338, and the Principle of the Land for Peace- then, in accordance with API, Arab countries would sign. We negotiate on the bases of the PTR, and not on the bases of API, which is NOT the PTR. PTR are present including the right to return. If Olmert were to say now that he were prepared for negotiations, what would we say to him? Regardless of the API, we say to him you are a criminal; we do not negotiate with a criminal," outlined H. E. President Al-Assad, asserting that all of Mideast Peace Process is suspended now; "The indirect negotiations have proved that Israel is never willing for peace, nor able to achieve it. We have to verify the willing beside the ability and along with a change in the Israeli dealing with Arabs. We can never accept the more of aggression or the more of massacres." outlined President Al-Assad, with a strong commitment to the Syrian just right to restore the Golan Heights to the line of June 4, 1967.

In reply to a question regarding the Syrian-US relations with President Barack Obama in power, His Excellency President Al-Assad noted that Syria’s relations with the Democrats is good for more than two years, "We want to be optimistic; let us view the issue – the change in the USA- with an optimistic vision, without saying that we have big expectations or hopes. An optimistic vision is based on no new wars, and that there would be a solution for the Iraqi issue represented through Mr. Obama’s pledge to withdraw from Iraq, of course in parallel with the political process, and on the new US Administration involvement, in a serious way, in the Peace Process. We have positive signals; however, we have learned to be cautious, and not to condition our calculations to such signals. As long as there are no concrete things, we have to assume that things have never been changed yet." welcoming an unconditional dialogue with the new US Administration, in consideration for the Syrian interests.

"We do support the Resistance. The occident in general has begun to learn that the Resistance enjoys popular support, and can never be uprooted. Thus, the occident has started to change the idea of isolating the Resistance. Some European officials have started to meet the Resistance men on the sly in Syria," said President Al-Assad, in reply to a question, voicing concern over the misunderstanding by the occident regarding the reality of the matter on the ground in the region.

In reply to a question regarding Lebanon, President Al-Assad declared that Syria has opened her embassy in Lebanon and would appoint her ambassador to Lebanon.