Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
Damascus, SANA- President Bashar al-Assad visited on Wednesday the Higher Military Academy in Damascus.
The President met the officers-graduates of the 36th course of “Command and General Staff,” calling upon them to continue development of their sciences as “the commander is distinguished from other subordinate members, not only in the military degree, but also in knowledge which won’t stop at the limits of the military sciences, but it extends to include all aspects.
“We, in Syria, while being in the center of war, we do our best for the sake of development, this development which includes all military , economic, organizational and ideological sides” ,President al-Assad said .
President al-Assad congratulated the officers for their graduation, talked to them in many topics; the importance of the military science and the academic task and the lessons that we can summarize from war, in addition to the position of Syrian Arab Army’s institution in the core of the national history of Syria, and the reasons behind the Syrian people’s support to this institution in addition to the positive resilience, based on work, development and regulation.
“I am pleased to meet you today at the conclusion of your course- command and staff- which forms an important destination in your national, professional and scientific career,” President al-Assad said.
The President added that when we talk about science and knowledge, we can’t make separation between leadership and knowledge, it is not possible to separate the personality of commander from their knowledge, so it is your duty to go ahead in developing your sciences as the commander is distinguished from other subordinate members, not only in the military degree, but also in knowledge which won’t stop at the limits of the military sciences, and it extends to include all aspects.
“Actually, the military science starts from knowing the position of the military institution, the position of the Syrian Arab Army in the core of the national history of Syria, practically, since the first day of independence till this moment, the army is the one which makes the history of our homeland, every officer and commander carries the image of this history through their personality, and this was one of the most important reasons behind the Syrian people’s support for their military institution,” the President said.
President al-Assad added that the officer is in need to know the political goals, and to know the way to reach to them.
“Today, we are in the center of rough and restless surrounding, and certainly we have to possess knowledge in order to face storms and high waves, we have to acquire knowledge about the means of navigation,” the President added.
President al-Assad stressed that they say the US has spent a trillion USD in Iraq, some others in Afghanistan, but for whom they were spent, were that for the Iraqi people, or for the Afghani people; they were spent for the US companies, to supply weapons; so, the war process is dollar for the Americans, and this dollar comes in the interest of the US companies, so after defeat in Afghanistan, the defeat in Iraq and after the defeat in Somalia in 1994 and after the defeat in Vietnam, we have to expect that there will be more wars and more defeats.
“What does that mean; it means that no place in this confused world except for one thing which is resilience; the states which withstand are the ones that will find a place in this world, whether they were small countries which search for a regional position within their regional interests, or big ones which seek a position on the international arena,” President al-Assad said.
“The resilience that I talk about is the positive resilience, this positive resilience resembles the state of defense; It is not possible to remain steadfast in the negative and defensive meaning, but we have to move to the attack, and this what I have talked about in the speech of the oath-taking, we have to develop, we shouldn’t wait for the end of the war, no, we are in the center of war, we have to do what we can in order to develop, this development includes all military, economic, organizational and ideological aspects, organizing the state and society,” President al-Assad said.
He added“As officers and an institution, you have a military role; but you have also a social role, and educative role to refute all incorrect concepts inside this society, and this is another duty to be added to the duties of officers, for that, the war on this institution was fierce, the political war was more dangerous from the military one.”
“So, since the beginning, the war was waged to strike the credibility and the image of that institution, of course they have failed, firstly because of the mindful performance of our soldiers and officers; secondly, because of the awareness of the Syrian people,” the President said.
“Through your will, knowledge and courage, we will go ahead in the liberation process, and through your strength, we will be able to restore rights, and through the people’s faith in you, the Syrian Arab army will remain the essence and guarantor to maintain independence and protect the homeland,” the President concluded.
Baraa Ali/ Mazen Eyon
