Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said on Monday that reconstructing Syria is a top priority for the state, estimating the reconstruction cost for the war-ravaged country to be between $600 and $900 billion.
“The world watched this tragedy unfold for 14 years and couldn't do anything to stop this massive crime. So, the world today should provide support to Syria,” the Syrian President said in an interview with “60 Minutes” show on the American channel CBS News.
Al-Sharaa toured the entirely destroyed area of Jobar, on the outskirts of Damascus with his interviewer at the American channel.
“There are entire generations that have suffered tremendous psychological trauma. So, it's very important to give people new hope for their return and for reconstruction,” the Syrian president said during the tour.
According to Syria’s state-run news agency, SANA, al-Sharaa told the channel that “general elections will be held once the infrastructure is rebuilt, and once the population has IDs and proper documents.”
He stressed that he wants Syria to be a place where every person gets a vote, affirming his belief in the resilience and strength of the Syrian people, who are capable of rising again.
Al-Sharaa also said his country will use all legal means possible to demand that Bashar al-Assad, who fled to Russia, be brought to justice. However, engaging in a conflict with Russia right now would be too costly for Syria. Nor would it be in the country's interest, he stated.
Regarding the recent events in the coastal region of Sweida, the President said, “This is a Syrian internal matter that should be resolved legally by Syrian authorities,” pledging that the state is committed to prosecute those involved.
“I believe that Syria is committed to prosecuting anyone who committed crimes against civilians, of any party or side,” he added.
On the issue of repeated Israeli attacks on Syria, al-Sharaa said, “Syria doesn’t pose any threat to anyone” describing the Israeli attacks on the presidential palace as “a declaration of war.”
He said Syria “doesn’t want to engage in wars, and it doesn’t want to be a threat to Israel or anyone else,” calling on Israel to withdraw from Syrian territories it occupied after December 8.
Also, the president clarified that “operations carried out by ‘Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’ prior to liberation were aimed solely at overthrowing the Assad regime, and that the group did not conduct operations outside Syrian territory nor did it target anyone other than regime forces.”
Al-Sharaa reiterated that he had severed ties with both ISIS and al-Qaeda, noting that, “If I had agreed with them, I wouldn’t have left them.”
Asked what was it like when he first entered the presidential palace, al-Sharaa said: “Entering this palace wasn't a very positive experience. Much evil towards the Syrian people came out of this palace, since it was built.”
The CBS News journalist then asked al-Sharaa to comment on US President Donald Trump’s remarks after he met him back in May and described him as handsome, tough and had a strong past.
Al-Sharaa said, “Have you any doubt about that?”
