Syria Video Report
Syria's greatest challenge may be with itself.
By Kevin Sites, Fri Feb 3, 7:15 PM ET
Note: this is a transcript of Kevin Sites' video report from Syria. You can watch the video or, if you are having trouble with the video player, read the transcript here.
KEVIN SITES ON CAMERA:
In the valley below is Damascus, the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. People have lived here for thousands of years. But the capital of Syria, and the nation itself, faces some very serious problems: political trouble with Lebanon, a confrontation with America over
Iraq and a crisis about its own role in the Arab world.
KEVIN SITES VOICE OVER:
Outside the Umayyad Mosque in the old city, people go about their business. But there is tension in the air, much of it having to do with international pressure on Syria to comply with a U.N. investigation into the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
A U.N. investigator says Syrian officials are involved and now the U.N. wants to interview Syrian President Bashar al Assad, something the government has flatly refused.
This banner in the Hammedieh market blames Israel and America for the killing. But even with Syria's denials, the economy has still taken a major stumble.
Some shopkeepers here say business is off by as much as 15 to 20 percent. And business hasn't been helped by trouble on the border either.
Syria is in a tense standoff with the United States and Iraq over allegations that it has allowed foreign fighters to cross its borders to attack American and Iraqi troops, as well as civilians.
Syria admits there were illegal crossings, but it says its taken steps to stop them.
KEVIN SITES ON CAMERA:
It's just about dusk here at the Tanef border crossing between Syria and Iraq. Just a mile in that direction, where all these soldiers have their guns pointing, is Iraq. This is a long and porous border -- about 650 kilometers. According to the Syrian government there are 7,000 soldiers poised along this border.
It's been a major area of contention with the Iraqi government, the US and Syria. The US and the Iraqi government have claimed that foreign fighters have crossed this border into Iraq to join the insurgency. The Syrian government says that's not happening anymore -- that this border has been closed off -- that they are patrolling it very heavily now, and that foreign fighters are not getting across to join that insurgency.
KEVIN SITES ON CAMERA:
There were at one time a lot of crossings, illegally?
DR. FAYEZ AL SAYEGH, HEAD OF SYRIAN TV, MINISTRY OF INFORMATION SPOKESMAN (through translator):
Yes, of course, there were a lot of illegal crossings. But we've controlled it as much as we can and the numbers have dropped.
KEVIN SITES VOICE OVER:
Syria says its also making progress in democratic reform, pointing to the recent release of five political prisoners including parliament member Riad Seif, jailed in 2001.
But the Bush Administration says they still haven't gone far enough.
Meanwhile at a Damascus dance club students forget about politics for a while, losing themselves in the sounds of a driving techno beat.
But they know trying to lose Syria's image as a rogue state will not be as easy.
KEVIN SITES ON CAMERA:
In addition to these international confrontations, perhaps Syria's greatest challenge is with itself. It faces an economy staggered by unemployment and uncertainty, but most importantly a political debate about whether the regime will move past its history of human rights violations and rule of fear into a new era of openness. Reporting from the Hot Zone, I'm Kevin Sites in Damascus, Syria.
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