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ASSAD FAMILY INTERPRETER: 'THE WAR IS NOT SYRIAN-MADE'
Radio Free Europe
September 11, 2013
A man formerly employed by the Syrian presidential family says intense
shelling has forced him to flee the country for safety.
Mihran Bertizlian worked as a Turkish interpreter for the wife of
President Bashar al-Assad, Asma, before taking refuge in Armenia five
months ago.
Bertizlian describes scenes of violence and destruction in his hometown
of Aleppo, where homes, mosques, and markets appear to have been
devastated by the fighting that has pitted Assad's forces against
rebels for more than two years.
Speaking to RFE/RL in Yerevan, Bertizlian says he left Syria out of
fear for his family. "I stayed until things got worse," he says.
"There were a lot of bombs falling close to my home, there was no water
or electricity. So I left my home, my homeland, and the city I love."
SEE ALSO: Photogallery -- A History Of Aleppo's Armenians
Bertizlian says he saw many dead bodies lining the road to the border.
But he does not hold Assad responsible for the carnage, and describes
the Syrian president and his wife as "nice people" deeply committed
to their country's well-being.
Nor does he believe that Assad is behind the deadly poison-gas attack
in Damascus that is now prompting U.S. threats of military action. The
administration of U.S. President Barack Obama estimates that the August
21 attack killed more than 1,400 people, a third of them children.
Although both U.S. officials and human rights groups say the evidence
strongly points to the Syrian government's involvement, Bertizlian
insists too little is known about the assault to make accusations.
According to him, the root of the Syrian conflict lies not in Assad's
policies, but rather in what he sees as Western efforts to encourage
antigovernment uprisings across the Arab world.
Despite his loyalty to Assad, however, Bertizlian admits that Syria
needs "more democracy" and says he would actually support a democratic
revolution in his country, provided it was conducted by Syrians.
He says the rebel army currently fighting Assad's forces is heavily
infiltrated by foreign rebels whose main concern is not Syria but
Islam. "I want to see a revolution by Syrians. This revolution was
started partly by Syrians, but it's no longer a Syrian revolution,"
he says. "In a Syrian revolution, the Christians, the Kurds, all the
different ethnic groups in Syria would join. I believe this revolution
is not Syrian-made."
Bertizlian, a Christian of Armenian origin, says he regularly spoke
with foreign Islamic rebels while still in Syria. He says their
stated goal is to topple Assad, whom they see as pro-Israel, as part
of their larger crusade to reclaim Jerusalem.
The Middle East is a very different place, with many cultures,
religions, and languages. Obama cannot understand us.
At the same time, Bertizlian feels Obama and other Western leaders
have little understanding of the region's intricate religious, ethnic
and political realities.
"The Syrian people can help each other. If they want, they can replace
Bashar or leave him in place," he says. "Thank you Obama, but let us
decide what we are going to do, you can't help us. The Middle East is
a very different place, with many cultures, religions, and languages.
Obama cannot understand us. He wants to help us, but we don't need
his help."
As expectations of a Western military intervention grow, thousands of
Syrians have fled their country en masse, mostly to Lebanon and Turkey.
The likelihood of a strike appeared to recede this week as a diplomatic
effort to place Syria's alleged chemical weapons under international
control -- and ultimately destroy them -- gathered momentum.
Bertizlian does not think the West will go ahead with the strikes. But
he believes Assad's life is nonetheless at risk as long as he continues
to cling to power.
"If I were in his shoes, I would leave the country and never come
back," he says.
Radio Free Europe
September 11, 2013
A man formerly employed by the Syrian presidential family says intense
shelling has forced him to flee the country for safety.
Mihran Bertizlian worked as a Turkish interpreter for the wife of
President Bashar al-Assad, Asma, before taking refuge in Armenia five
months ago.
Bertizlian describes scenes of violence and destruction in his hometown
of Aleppo, where homes, mosques, and markets appear to have been
devastated by the fighting that has pitted Assad's forces against
rebels for more than two years.
Speaking to RFE/RL in Yerevan, Bertizlian says he left Syria out of
fear for his family. "I stayed until things got worse," he says.
"There were a lot of bombs falling close to my home, there was no water
or electricity. So I left my home, my homeland, and the city I love."
SEE ALSO: Photogallery -- A History Of Aleppo's Armenians
Bertizlian says he saw many dead bodies lining the road to the border.
But he does not hold Assad responsible for the carnage, and describes
the Syrian president and his wife as "nice people" deeply committed
to their country's well-being.
Nor does he believe that Assad is behind the deadly poison-gas attack
in Damascus that is now prompting U.S. threats of military action. The
administration of U.S. President Barack Obama estimates that the August
21 attack killed more than 1,400 people, a third of them children.
Although both U.S. officials and human rights groups say the evidence
strongly points to the Syrian government's involvement, Bertizlian
insists too little is known about the assault to make accusations.
According to him, the root of the Syrian conflict lies not in Assad's
policies, but rather in what he sees as Western efforts to encourage
antigovernment uprisings across the Arab world.
Despite his loyalty to Assad, however, Bertizlian admits that Syria
needs "more democracy" and says he would actually support a democratic
revolution in his country, provided it was conducted by Syrians.
He says the rebel army currently fighting Assad's forces is heavily
infiltrated by foreign rebels whose main concern is not Syria but
Islam. "I want to see a revolution by Syrians. This revolution was
started partly by Syrians, but it's no longer a Syrian revolution,"
he says. "In a Syrian revolution, the Christians, the Kurds, all the
different ethnic groups in Syria would join. I believe this revolution
is not Syrian-made."
Bertizlian, a Christian of Armenian origin, says he regularly spoke
with foreign Islamic rebels while still in Syria. He says their
stated goal is to topple Assad, whom they see as pro-Israel, as part
of their larger crusade to reclaim Jerusalem.
The Middle East is a very different place, with many cultures,
religions, and languages. Obama cannot understand us.
At the same time, Bertizlian feels Obama and other Western leaders
have little understanding of the region's intricate religious, ethnic
and political realities.
"The Syrian people can help each other. If they want, they can replace
Bashar or leave him in place," he says. "Thank you Obama, but let us
decide what we are going to do, you can't help us. The Middle East is
a very different place, with many cultures, religions, and languages.
Obama cannot understand us. He wants to help us, but we don't need
his help."
As expectations of a Western military intervention grow, thousands of
Syrians have fled their country en masse, mostly to Lebanon and Turkey.
The likelihood of a strike appeared to recede this week as a diplomatic
effort to place Syria's alleged chemical weapons under international
control -- and ultimately destroy them -- gathered momentum.
Bertizlian does not think the West will go ahead with the strikes. But
he believes Assad's life is nonetheless at risk as long as he continues
to cling to power.
"If I were in his shoes, I would leave the country and never come
back," he says.