Following are excerpts from several TV interviews with Syrian MPs and Lebanese sympathizers, which aired on various TV channels in July 2012.
Al-Manar TV, July 20, 2012:
Syrian MP Ahmad Shlash, deputy chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee: These biological and chemical weapons are intended for a confrontation with the country's enemies.
As for those terrorist groups, the defenders of the land can get rid of them...
Interviewer: Yesterday, Ehud Barak toured the area...
Ahmad Shlash: Let him tour it. He wants to see where he will be buried if he tries to...
He's wondering what hole will be dug for him...
Let me tell you something. I cannot tell a lie. We have biological weapons. What's the problem? We have advanced weapons. Why lie to the people? We have them. That is what's known as the balance of power. You have nuclear weapons, and we have advanced biological weapons.
We counter might with might, but we're keeping this for the end. If you consider using nuclear weapons, we will use something equivalent, or something that causes similar damage.
Nasrallah said that Syria has drastically changed its [military] systems. Syria no longer relies upon artillery, tanks, and airplanes. Syria relies upon missiles. We have all types of missiles. All types of missiles!
Let them bear in mind and take into consideration that Syria has both chemical and biological weapons.
[...]
I would like to convey a message to my beloved Syrian president. Honorable President, enough with the leniency and the tolerance. Enough giving one respite after another. I am against the principle of tolerance. If you want to be tolerant toward someone – save it for later. This is the time to finish it off militarily – throughout the country. For the sake of Allah, oh President, the people want you to finish it off.
Al-Manar TV, July 23, 2012:
Interviewer: We are talking about unconventional weapons. Today, Syrian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Jihad al-Maqdisi said: "We will use these weapons in the event of a foreign attack."
Syrian MP Sharif Shehadeh: So, what's wrong with that?
Interviewer: You're taking precautions for any attack on you?
Sharif Shehadeh: I don't know, but if the Syrian government has weapons of that type – of course they will use them against any attacker. What should we do with them? Make tabouleh or fattoush salads? Of course we will use them against of attackers. That's only natural. When Israel was waging war against Syria and Lebanon, they used cluster bombs, which are banned internationally. Why is Israel allowed to do this while the Arabs must accept being tramped underfoot on a daily basis? Let me tell you, the Syrian public is hoping for a war. The Syrian public is hoping that we will wage a war. Either [they win, or we do].
[...]
Al-Dunya TV, July 24, 2012:
Syrian MP 'Issam Khalil: I'd like to say to those [Israelis]: The missiles of Hizbullah, which defeated you in the 2006 war, were nothing more than extremely simple fireworks compared with the firepower that Syria has in stock, which could burn you to ashes. This is well known. I'm not revealing any secret. The range [of our missiles] far exceeds what you believe. Indeed, Syria possesses weaponry, as is its right, because its facing the danger of the Zionist enemy.
NBN TV, July 10, 2012:
Hizbullah MP Brig.-Gen. [ret.] Walid Sakariya: The coalition between Syria, Iraq, and Iran builds up a power superior to Israel, even without nuclear weapons. They can annihilate Israel in a war, even if it costs them a million martyrs. We should not consider the figure of one million martyrs to be catastrophic. By no means. The USSR sacrificed 26 million martyrs in WWII, yet it became a world superpower. France and Germany suffered 6-7 million casualties in the war. We have a total population of 130 million in these three countries
If 5,000 martyrs are sacrificed out of everyone one million people...
It's like in the 2006 war – this is a price that we can cope with. Even 10,000 martyrs per million... You could easily afford a million martyrs.
Interviewer: Now we are over-simplifying things...
Walid Sakariya: It's true. People need to know this, rather than delude themselves that 100 martyrs is such a big deal. It’s not the end of the world. The living nations are the ones that are prepared to sacrifice blood for the sake of their freedom. Those that are not willing to pay for freedom with their blood will remain subjugated and will live the life of a slave.
Al-Mayadeen TV, July 24, 2012:
General Mustafa Hamdan, Former Head of Lebanese Presidential Guard: If foreign soldiers or forces try to enter Syria, there will be an all-out war – not only with chemical weapons, but with biological weapons as well. Davutoğlu Effendi also declared: We may participate in an operation within Syria. They deployed some surface-to-air missiles, in an attempt to raise the morale of the saboteurs in Syria. The Syrian reaction was quick: Any attempt of foreign intervention will lead to an all-out war, in which all types of weapons will be used, including chemical and biological.
