Sec. Rice Interviewed by a frustrated Raghida Dergham, here:
QUESTION: There is – people are saying that you lost Iran because there is no great option and that you also lost Lebanon because, practically, it’s – you know, Hezbollah won, they have the military power, it’s practically a base for the Iranians in Lebanon. Do you want to refute that?
SECRETARY RICE: Of course.
(...)
QUESTION: Even with Hezbollah keeping its arms and being a very, you know, determined and a very big power in the country?
SECRETARY RICE: Well, let’s remember –
QUESTION: With its arms –
SECRETARY RICE: – Hezbollah has been there for a while. This is a not a phenomenon of 2008. But the President has emphasized – President Sleiman has emphasized within the national dialogue the arms have to belong to the state. And so they are in a process to make certain that arms belong to the state.
QUESTION: With its arms –
SECRETARY RICE: – Hezbollah has been there for a while. This is a not a phenomenon of 2008. But the President has emphasized – President Sleiman has emphasized within the national dialogue the arms have to belong to the state. And so they are in a process to make certain that arms belong to the state.
QUESTION: Why did you subcontract the relationship to – with Syria to President Sarkozy of France?
SECRETARY RICE: We haven’t subcontracted anything. We’ve been in very close contact with the French. And look, the Syrians – we and the Syrians do have contact. We have a Chargé in Damascus who continues the contacts. We have diplomatic relations with Syria. I’ve met with Foreign Minister Mualem before.
QUESTION: Recently?
SECRETARY RICE: No, no, no, during the neighbors conference when we were in Sharm el-Sheikh. Look, the relationship with Syria very much turns on how things are going. We’re not –
QUESTION: Where?
SECRETARY RICE: Well, it is true that foreign fighters are down. The number of foreign fighters crossing into Iraq is down. Now, I think that is really because it’s not really all that fruitful to be a foreign fighter in Iraq any longer, because through coalition efforts and the efforts of the Iraqis themselves, the security situation in Iraq has stabilized. It’s fragile, but it’s stabilized. It is true that Syria and Israel are in – in direct discussions, something that we’ve supported. We were the ones who invited Syria to the Annapolis conference. So France should have discussions with Syria. We have them when they are appropriate.
SECRETARY RICE: No, no, no, during the neighbors conference when we were in Sharm el-Sheikh. Look, the relationship with Syria very much turns on how things are going. We’re not –
QUESTION: Where?
SECRETARY RICE: Well, it is true that foreign fighters are down. The number of foreign fighters crossing into Iraq is down. Now, I think that is really because it’s not really all that fruitful to be a foreign fighter in Iraq any longer, because through coalition efforts and the efforts of the Iraqis themselves, the security situation in Iraq has stabilized. It’s fragile, but it’s stabilized. It is true that Syria and Israel are in – in direct discussions, something that we’ve supported. We were the ones who invited Syria to the Annapolis conference. So France should have discussions with Syria. We have them when they are appropriate.
QUESTION: When is that? When –
MR. MCCORMACK: Raghida, this is going to have to be the last question..."
MR. MCCORMACK: Raghida, this is going to have to be the last question..."
2 comments:
The pitiful side of mediocre journalism by a person with questionable ethics and loyalties. None of her questions were really worth asking. She was just venting her personal frustrations and got nothing but frustrations. But when you are employed by Al Hayat then anything goes.
Let Friday Lunch Club be clear that this dreadful woman, this truly unprincipled human being (and I'm not referring to Rice), with her hectoring, irritating and incoherent questioning -- as usual -- was not "frustrated" because she was working heroically and nobly to illuminate the world situation in this interview. I am surprised that responsible government officials have not yet seen through this character, who should not have been given either this interview, nor the time of day. She shouldn't be given any more interviews at all, ever.
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