De Israelische krant Haaretz heeft gelekte e-mails van verschillende medewerkers van de Syrische president Assad onthuld, waaronder zijn media adviseur. Zo kreeg Assad tips voor zijn interview met het Amerikaanse ABC, waarin hij ontkende dat op burgers werd geschoten. In deel twee blijkt dat ex parlementariër George Galloway Syrië om hulp heeft gevraagd bij de organisatie van de Gaza vloot in 2010. Hij schreef Bouthaina Shaaban aan met de vraag of verschillende schepen in Latakia konden aanmeren en om te helpen bij de coördinatie in Syrië. Ze antwoordde hem enthousiast te zijn over het idee en graag mee te werken. Galloway had ook lovende woorden voor president Assad. Dat was overigens niet voor het eerst, want in juni 2011, toen militairen van het regime ongenadig insloegen op vreedzame demonstranten, prees hij Assad uitbundig op Hezbollah tv station Al Manar. Hij zei onder andere dat:
Bashar Assad wants reform and change, to realize the aspirations of his people,” he said in the interview, which was quoted in the official Syrian news agency Sana. “They are trying to pressure Syria and President Assad because of the good things that he did, such as supporting Palestinian and Lebanese resistance and rejecting to surrender to Israel.”
Hij schreef Shaaban onder andere:
“I am writing once again to ask for Syria’s co-operation although I do not doubt it for one moment. Syria is as I have often said is the last castle of Arab dignity,” Galloway noted. “This convoy sets out simulataneously [sic] on September 18th 2010 from London, from Casablanca and from the Gulf. The London and Gulf columns of vehicles would like to converge on Latakia and sail from there to Al Arish.”
Galloway onderhield in het verleden goede kontakten met diverse dictators en extremistische organisaties, zoals Saddam Hussein, het Assad regime in Syrië, het Iraanse regime en Hamas. In januari 2009 richtte hij Viva Palestina op, dat verschillende flotilla’s naar Gaza organiseerde. Volgens de Shin Beth maar ook onderzoek van ‘onze eigen’ Carel Brendel blijkt dat de organisatie banden heeft met Hamas en de Moslim Broederschap en geld krijgt van hen. Galloway zat tot mei 2010 in het Britse Lagerhuis en was tot 2003 lid van de Labourpartij, die hem uit de partij zette.
Galloway is ‘persona non grata in verschillende landen, waaronder Canada en Egypte, dat hem in 2010 het land uit zette nadat hij de Gazastrook had bezocht, en activisten van zijn organisatie slaags raakten met Egyptische soldaten bij de Rafah grensovergang.
Het is niet de eerste keer dat blijkt dat een sympathisant en voorvechter voor de Palestijnen er nogal extreme ideeën en foute vrienden op na houdt. Onder andere Carel Brendel heeft diverse banden tussen pro-Palestina activisten en Hamas en de Moslim Broederschap aangetoond, vooral ook rond de Gaza vloot organisatie.
Bron: Haaretz
Hieronder de briefwisseling tussen Galloway en Bouthaina Shaaban.
From: b.shaaban@mopa.gov.sy
Sent: Sun 15/08/10 6:30 PM
To: buthainak1@hotmail.co.uk
Fwd: VivaPalestina5 convoy to Gaza
Your Excellency dear Ambassador and honourable lady Dr Shaaban,
Assalam o Aleukum.
Thank you for your beautiful reply. I knew that I could rely on you and the last Arab country in this historic endeavour.
Given the shortness of the time (we leave London Casablanca Doha on September 18th, and these three columns joined by big contingents from Turkey Jordan and Lebanon hope to sail from Latakia aboard the Mavi Marmara between October 5-7th) can I respectfully request that you task officials in Damascus and and Latakia to make contact with my comrades in advance of your arrival back to Syria?
I remind you they are Kevin Ovenden kevin.ovenden@gmail.com and Dr Zaher Birawi zkb2002@hotmail.com
This would be very helpful to us.
I hope you are enjoying your travels and have a safe journey back to Damascus.
With all my good wishes,
Yours fraternally
George Galloway
VivaPalestinaArabia
From: b.shaaban@mopa.gov.sy
Sent: Sat 14/08/10 12:05 PM
To: office@georgegalloway.com
Re: IMPORTANT – private and confidential
Dear George
Thank you very much for your email which I was delighted to receive. God bless your amazing efforts and I will be honored to be part and parcel of it and to be the catalyst for my country too. I am now abroad for about 10 days and expected to be back in Syria on August 24. If we can touch base then and get further details about what is really required and from whom in more details you will find me happy to put my time and energy to help with this most important cause of the Twenty Firtst Century. I hope you are following my writings in Counter Punch. Take care and God bless you and your efforts.
As ever
Bouthaina
On Wed 11/08/10 3:05 PM , Ayesha Bajwa <office@georgegalloway.com> wrote:
Your Excellency Dr Bouthaina Shaaban
Special Advisor to President Bashar al Asad
President of the Syrian Arab Republic
Damascus
By e-mail
Your Excellency, dear Dr Shaaban
I hope this letter finds you well. Please be assured of my warmest fraternal greetings always. I am writing on behalf of Viva Palestina whose world-wide family of solidarity organisiations and registered charities will soon be setting out for beseiged Gaza again with our fifth convoy of aid. You will recall the outstanding assistance afforded us in Syria on previous occasions over the last period. I am writing once again to ask for Syria’s co-operation although I do not doubt it for one moment. Syria is as I have often said is the last castle of Arab dignity. My only regret is to have to ask for your help again.
This convoy sets out simulataneously on September 18th 2010 from London, from Casablanca and from the Gulf. The London and Gulf columns of vehicles would like to converge on Latakia and sail from there to Al Arish. The Casablanca column hopes to join us in Al Arish and we hope all three columns – hundreds of vehicles strong – will enter Gaza through Rafah without hinderance.
The aid on board the vehicles will be 50% medical equipment and 50% educational, construction and other aid.
The organisers of the convoy are Viva Palestina UK, Viva Palestina USA, Viva Palestina Arabia, Viva Palestina Malaysia, Viva Palestina Ireland, the Turkish NGO IHH,the International Committee to break the Seige on Gaza, Kia Ora – the Viva Palestina sister organisation in New Zealand, Viva Palestina Australia, Viva Palestina South Africa, Viva Palestina Spain, Viva Palestina Italia, and Viva Palestina France.
It is intended that the vehicles and passengers should sail to Al Arish on board the Mavi Marmara, which as you know is owned by IHH.
If His Excellency the President Bashar al Asad and his government can accept this proposal in principle perhaps you could nominate partner organisation(s) and individuals with whom my colleagues could liaise about the practical details? The liaison from our side would be Mr Kevin Ovenden and Mr Zaher Birawi of Viva Palestina UK (as we believe 2 is enough).
In any case please convey my respect and my admiration to His Excellency the President.
With all good wishes
George Galloway
———————–