Syrian Commentator Taleb Ibrahim: If We Had Nuclear Bombs, We Would Drop Them on the Terrorists

In a recent TV interview, Syrian commentator Taleb Ibrahim, who frequently represents the Syrian regime in the media, said: "If only the regime had a nuclear weapon which it could use and rid us of these...". He further said of the proposed six-week ceasefire in Aleppo brokered by U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura: "This is not a truce. This is a prelude to the unconditional surrender [of the terrorists]." The interview aired on February 18, 2015 on the new Qatari Al-Araby TV channel, broadcasting from London.

Following are excerpts:

Interviewer: Why does the Syrian regime offer, through de Mistura, only six weeks of [ceasefire in Aleppo]?

Taleb Ibrahim: This is not the issue. Six weeks is only a test period. So that Mr. de Mistura can start negotiating with the leaders of the armed groups in Aleppo, in an attempt to reach a final settlement. We will not sign a full ceasefire, so long as the armed groups keep their weapons, and continue to control various areas…

Interviewer: Can any solution be reached while the regime continues its bombardments?

Taleb Ibrahim: The regime does not bombard anyone…

Interviewer: It does. It admitted this yesterday when it offered a six-week ceasefire. This offer is an admission of the regime's bombardments.

Taleb Ibrahim: Any country afflicted by such groups would bomb them, their fathers, and their forefathers. Egypt used Apache helicopters in the Sinai…

Interviewer: The regime is using barrel bombs, which is considered by international organization to constitute a war crime.

Taleb Ibrahim: If only the regime had a nuclear weapon which it could used and rid us of these…

Interviewer: You're talking about nuclear weapons…

Taleb Ibrahim: Barrel bombs or not, the regime's use of military power has been extremely insufficient so far. The [terrorists] haven't seen any of the military might they should be seeing.

Interviewer: What do you mean? The regime has used chemical weapons…

Taleb Ibrahim: They are not Syrians. They have come to destroy this country. They should be bombed with everything possible. You should be accusing others of war crimes. The war crimes were perpetrated by those who sent those terrorists, murderers, and obscene scoundrels, funded them, and provided them with weapons and training, and helped them get safely into Syria.

Interviewer: What about the Afghans and Iranians, fighting on your side? Are they Syrians?

We are a sovereign state. A state has the right to get help from anyone. Bahrain got help from Saudi Arabia and said that it would send forces to Jordan. This is only natural when states are concerned. But when intelligence agencies send gangs… How come the Syrian regime did not bring them before 2010? So why do you want to sign a truce with these gangs now? This is not a truce. This is a prelude to their unconditional surrender, as was the case in Homs and elsewhere…

Interviewer: Taleb Ibrahim, thank you very much.

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