Vice-President tells BBC that Syrian President Bashar Al Assad would be ousted.
Sanctions on Iran should be lifted and Syrian President Bashar Al Assad should be ousted.
These were some of the observations made by His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, during a no-holds-barred interview with the BBC.
A screen grab of Shaikh Mohammed’s interview on BBC World News channel on Monday. — KT photo by Kiran Prasad
During Sunday’s interview with Jon Sopel, the presenter of the BBC international affairs programme Global with Jon Sopel, Shaikh Mohammed said he believed Tehran was telling the truth when it said its nuclear plants were just for civilian power.He recounted a conversation with former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on the subject: “I talked to Ahmadinejad and he said, ‘If I send a rocket to Israel, how many Palestinians will I kill! And then the US and Europe will destroy my cities. I’m not crazy to go for that. It’s a weapon of the past.’”
Shaikh Mohammed said sanctions on Iran should be lifted now as there was an agreement to inspect the country’s nuclear sites.
Regarding the civil war in Syria, he said the UAE was not following countries like Qatar that were intervening because it was unclear whether some of the rebels were extremists.
“We are supporting the people in Jordan or Turkey... but the Free (Syrian) Army you don’t know because there (are) some extremists, and you don’t know how many groups there are. You hear that some groups are fighting each other…
“Maybe Qatar (has) a reason or a vision, but... we don’t want to interfere with other people… We should help but not interfere.”
He said it would take a long time, but Syrian President Bashar Al Assad would be ousted: “If you kill your people, you can’t stay.”
In reply to a question about the present situation in Egypt, Shaikh Mohammed said: “Egypt, now, is much better off compared to the conditions during the former regime”.
Shaikh Mohammed expressed his full confidence in the capabilities of the Egyptian people and army to overcome this crucial stage in country’s history.
“The UAE has always supported the Egyptian people and respects their options,” he reiterated.
About developments on the Palestinian issue, Shaikh Mohammed expressed the hope that an agreement for achieving a just and comprehensive peace would be reached and it will contribute to laying down the bases for security and stability in the region.
Shaikh Mohammed spoke candidly on human rights, the city’s economy and a range of regional issues. He described Marte Deborah Dalelv, the Norwegian woman who was jailed after her alleged rape and then released following a pardon, as a ‘victim’.
Sopel was abuzz after the day-long interview for which Shaikh Mohammed drove him to his desert hideaway and showed him his grandfather’s modest home, intact for five decades.
Sopel said there was a fascination with Shaikh Mohammed in Britain. The exclusive interview had been planned since September and he couldn’t believe it when the request came through.
“The fact he’s given the interview, the fact we have got such extensive access... makes it an event in itself.
“Dealing with (Shaikh Mohammed’s team) could not have been more straightforward. I have spent a lot of time doing politics and interviewing prime ministers and it can be very wearying.”
Sopel said Shaikh Mohammed was very open to all his questions.
“That’s very impressive… If you are a shaikh in your emirate or kingdom you are used to people deferring to you. The Western style of questioning is more abrasive and I respect him for saying ask me what you like.”
He said he found Shaikh Mohammed’s responses “genuine” and was very impressed with the Ruler’s ability as a politician.
“He’s very good with people, and just charming.”
Shaikh Mohammed was interesting not only because of his status as Dubai’s Ruler but also because what has been built in Dubai is ‘unbelievable’.
Dubai was of global interest as it was on top again, after suffering during the financial crisis years. It was a place where “the Muslim world meets the West, and there’s considerable engagement…,” Sopel said.
The economy was also up for discussion. Shaikh Mohammed assured the rental market would not overheat, thanks to a recent cap placed on rents. He also revealed the payments for the Palm Islands had been made a year earlier than due.
In the light of the arrest of an American who was detained for making a spoof video and recently released, Shaikh Mohammed said Dubai’s legal system needs changes.
The man’s treatment had not been fair, he told Sopel.
“We are not perfect and we try to change it. Any mistakes, we go in and try to change it. We’re not perfect, but we are doing our best.”
Shaikh Mohammed also discussed his shock on learning his trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni had doped 11 horses from the Godolphin stables.
“They gave (Al Zarooni) eight years and I gave him a lifetime. Finished... He will never come near my horses.”
Sopel said he thought Shaikh Mohammed had decided to open up to the BBC as this was his first interview with the international network. The successful World Expo 2020 bid may also have played into it.
amanda@khaleejtimes.com
No comments :
Post a Comment