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Saudi Crown Prince Says Muslim Brotherhood ‘Very Dangerous’

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attends the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia October 24, 2017. Reuters
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attends the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia October 24, 2017. Reuters
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Saudi Crown Prince Says Muslim Brotherhood ‘Very Dangerous’

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attends the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia October 24, 2017. Reuters
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attends the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia October 24, 2017. Reuters

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has described the Muslim Brotherhood as “very dangerous” and slammed Iran for being behind the problems of the Middle East.

“Saudi Arabia is the biggest victim of the extremist ideology,” he told TIME magazine in an interview.

“All the extremist organizations in Saudi Arabia, we treat them as terrorist organizations, like the Muslim Brotherhood. They are very dangerous, and they are classified in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE and a lot of countries in the Middle East as a terrorist organization,” the Crown Prince said.

“They’re not in the Middle East because they know that the Middle East is taking good strategy against them in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE, Jordan, and a lot of countries. Their main target is to radicalize Muslim communities in Europe.”

Asked about Tehran, the Crown Prince said: “If you see any problem in the Middle East, you will find Iran.”

But he stressed that the Iranian regime is “not a big threat to Saudi Arabia.”

“We might disagree on … some of (former) President (Barack) Obama’s views, but also we agree on a lot of things. So we worked together to fight terrorism with President Obama in the beginning of 2016 we had the same views of the Iranian regime and the danger of the Iranian regime. The only difference was in the tactics of how we should deal with that evil narrative of the Iranian regime,” the Crown Prince told TIME.

“So it’s not a big difference. We are aligned 99 percent. The difference is only 1 percent. But, you know, people try to focus on the 1 percent and avoid the 99 percent that we agreed on,” he added.

About his ties with President Donald Trump, the Crown Prince told his interviewer: “Of course we have a good relationship with President Trump, with his team, with his family, with all the key people in his administration, and also we have a very good relationship with many members of Congress from both parties and a lot of people in the United States of America.”

“Everyone believes in the importance of both countries to face the dangers facing us and also to continue growing and getting a better future for both countries,” he stated.

On the war in Yemen, the Crown Prince said the Iran-backed Houthis don’t think about Yemen’s interests. “They only care about their ideology, the Iranian ideology, the Hezbollah ideology.”

Asked if the Arab Coalition would use ground troops in Yemen, he said: “It’s a battle between Yemeni people, Yemeni government trying to get rid of the terrorists who hijacked their country and their normal life. And it’s their battle.”

“Whatever they ask us in Saudi Arabia or the other 12 countries in the coalition, we’ll provide. Until today they didn’t ask for soldiers on the ground,” he added.

“The humanitarian problem in Yemen didn’t start in 2015. It started in 2014 when the Houthis started to move,” the Crown Prince said in response to a question on war casualties.

“We are the biggest donor in the history of Yemen. We are still doing our best to be sure that the humanitarian need in Yemen and the interests of the people, health care, education, whatever, it’s supported,” he added.

On the peace process, he told his interviewer that “the people of Palestine know best their ways.”

He said Riyadh always tells Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas “that whatever you think is good for you, we will support it.”

“We cannot have a relation with Israel before solving the peace issue,” he added.

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Interviews

Al-Sharaa to Asharq Al-Awsat: Revolution Ended with Regime’s Fall, Will Not Be Exported

Ahmed Al-Sharaa in the interview with Bissane El-Cheikh in Damascus on Thursday
Ahmed Al-Sharaa in the interview with Bissane El-Cheikh in Damascus on Thursday
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Al-Sharaa to Asharq Al-Awsat: Revolution Ended with Regime’s Fall, Will Not Be Exported

Ahmed Al-Sharaa in the interview with Bissane El-Cheikh in Damascus on Thursday
Ahmed Al-Sharaa in the interview with Bissane El-Cheikh in Damascus on Thursday

Ahmed Al-Sharaa, the head of the new Syrian administration, told Asharq Al-Awsat that “the Syrian revolution ended with the regime's fall, and we will not allow it to spread elsewhere.”

He stressed that Syria “will not be used to attack or destabilize any Arab or Gulf country.”

Speaking from the Presidential Palace in Damascus on Thursday, Al-Sharaa said the Syrian opposition’s actions had “set the Iranian project in the region back by 40 years.”

Asked why Syria has yet to send a direct message to the Gulf and major Arab nations, Al-Sharaa responded by saying that his country has much to say to its Arab neighbors.

“Syria had become a platform for Iran to control key Arab capitals, spread wars, and destabilize the Gulf with drugs like Captagon,” he said.

He added: “By removing Iranian militias and closing Syria to Iranian influence, we’ve served the region’s interests—achieving what diplomacy and external pressure could not, with minimal losses.”

Al-Sharaa also criticized efforts to restore ties with the former Syrian regime, including its return to the Arab League in exchange for concessions.

“We were confident this would fail because we knew the regime would not make any genuine concessions or approach these overtures in good faith,” he said.

He claimed that during a meeting with Jordanian officials, the former regime was asked why it insisted on exporting Captagon to Jordan.

“The response was that it would not stop unless sanctions were lifted," Al-Sharaa said, adding “this is not how the regime operates.”

He emphasized that Gulf strategic security has since improved. “Today, the Iranian project in the region has been pushed back 40 years, making the Gulf more secure and stable.”

When asked if he would give reassurances on Syria not becoming a refuge for certain figures, Al-Sharaa dismissed concerns about hosting figures who cause concern for some Arab nations, saying Syria will not become a haven for controversial individuals.

“We are now focused on state-building. The revolution ended with the regime's fall, and we will not allow it to spread elsewhere. Syria will not be a platform to threaten or unsettle any Arab or Gulf country,” he said.

Al-Sharaa stressed that Syria seeks to rebuild and strengthen ties with Arab nations. “Syria is tired of wars and being used for others’ agendas. We want to restore trust and rebuild our country as part of the Arab world.”

He praised the Gulf’s progress, saying: “We admire the development in Gulf countries, particularly Saudi Arabia’s bold plans and vision, and we aspire to achieve similar progress for Syria.”

He added: “There are many opportunities for cooperation, especially in economic and developmental areas, where we can align our goals.”

On Syria’s relationship with its neighbor Lebanon, Al-Sharaa acknowledged concerns raised by Lebanese counterparts about him reaching Damascus, fearing it could strengthen one faction over another in Lebanon.

“We are not seeking any form of dominance over Lebanon,” he said. “We want a relationship based on mutual respect and exchange, without interfering in Lebanon’s internal affairs. We have enough work to do in our own country.”

Al-Sharaa emphasized Syria’s intention to maintain balanced relations, saying he aims “to stand equally with all Lebanese groups, and what pleases them, pleases us.”

Al-Sharaa was asked about a national dialogue conference and a new constitution to guide Syria’s future, and the mechanism that he plans to ensure inclusivity for all Syrians in the process, especially among the base of supporters and fighters who do not necessarily agree with his current moderate speech.

Al-Sharaa acknowledged differing opinions but emphasized he does not want to impose his personal views on Syrians.

“I believe in letting legal experts shape the relationship between citizens, with the law as the guide,” he said.

“Syria is diverse, and it's natural for there to be different opinions. This difference is healthy.”

Al-Sharaa stressed that the recent victory is for all Syrians, not one group over another.

“Even those we thought were loyal to the old regime expressed joy, as they had not been able to openly express their feelings before,” he noted.

He expressed confidence that Syrians, regardless of their background, are aware enough to protect their country.

“My aim is to reach a broad agreement and build a country where the rule of law helps resolve our differences,” Al-Sharaa concluded.

On the complex issue of forced disappearances and individuals missing in prisons and mass graves, Al-Sharaa said the previous regime was a criminal gang, not a political system.

“We fought a brutal group that committed crimes like arrests, forced disappearances, killings, displacement, starvation, chemical attacks, and torture,” he said.

He stressed that while the regime is gone, the focus should be on justice, not revenge.

“We must not approach this with a desire for vengeance,” he said.

Al-Sharaa stated that those responsible for crimes like the Saydnaya prison and chemical attacks must be held accountable.

“Their names are known and they must be pursued,” he said. He also affirmed that families have the right to file complaints against unknown perpetrators.

Al-Sharaa outlined efforts to address the issue of missing persons. “We’ve broken the barriers, and specialized organizations are now helping with this task,” he said.

A new ministry will be set up to track the fate of the missing, both the deceased and the living.

“This will also assist families with documents like death certificates and inheritance,” he added.

He acknowledged the challenge ahead but emphasized the need to uncover the truth. “This is a big task, but we must find the truth,” Al-Sharaa said.

When asked about hosting the interview at the People’s Palace, the same location where Bashar al-Assad once sat, Al-Sharaa responded with a light-hearted laugh.

“To be honest, I don’t feel comfortable at all,” he said. “But this is a place that should be open to the people, a site where they can visit and where children can play in these courtyards.”