Assange Inaugurates Television Show with Nasrallah

Michael Young writes in the Daily Star about Julian Assange’s new talk show, which debuted on Wednesday with an interview with Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. The article notes that the show is on Russia Today, a Kremlin sponsored channel.

Young mentions that a major topic of conversation revolved around Syria. Nasrallah states that Hizbollah had contacted the Syria opposition, but, “from the beginning we have had a regime that is willing to enact reforms and is prepared for dialogue,” Nasrallah declared. “On the other side you have an opposition which is not prepared for dialogue and is not prepared to accept reforms. All it wants is to bring down the regime. This is a problem.” Young notes that Bashar al-Asad’s enemies view dialogue as an instrument to neutralize the uprising. He also goes on and says how Nasrallah has argued that there can be no dialogue between victim and oppressor, citing a speech by the Hezbollah leader in 2002.

The article further examines the dynamics of dialogue. He states that the al-Asad regime would likely divide the opposition by holding talks with groups that have called for negotiations, namely the National Coordination Committee for Democratic Change. Eventually, he argues, the government will give the opposition a token presence in parliament, while the opposition will have to give up armed resistance.

When asked why he supported regime change in other Arab countries, but not Syria, Nasrallah states, that the al-Asad regime has supported, “the resistance in Lebanon and Palestine”, and by extension domestic repression is acceptable in some cases, particularly if that particular regime is against United States and  Israel.

The article concludes with a quote from Nasrallah that, “the passage of time does not negate justice”, with reference to the Palestinians and questions why Nasrallah can talk about justice for Palestinians and  ignore justice for Syrians.