Syrian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and former regime loyalist, Ayman Sousan, confirmed that deposed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was leading a drug smuggling network out of the country and showed no interest in the Arab initiatives presented to him. In an interview with Syria TV, Sousan stated that during the Amman meeting, where the paper paving the way for Syria’s return to the Arab League was drafted, one of the participants discussed the clauses presented by the Arab countries attending the meeting.
He clarified that the points raised during the meeting, including the issue of stopping drug smuggling, “passed quietly and smoothly.” Sousan emphasized that the failure to comply with halting drug smuggling stemmed from Assad’s monopolization of decision-making. When asked whether he had spoken to Assad or his inner circle regarding drug smuggling, either as Deputy Foreign Minister or later as Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Sousan said: “We couldn’t speak with him. We would discuss matters among ourselves as employees without relaying these discussions to him because we knew his mindset, which revolves around ‘Me and only me, and after me, the deluge.’”
Assad’s stance on Arab openness
Regarding Assad’s position on Arab initiatives and the recent openness toward him, Sousan said: “He showed no interest in the Arab region, even though Arab countries opened a window for him last year by bringing him back to the Arab League in hopes of rescuing Syria from the quagmire it had fallen into. But Assad relied on Russia and Iran and didn’t want anyone else.”
Why Sousan didn’t defect
When asked why he didn’t defect despite human rights reports and his knowledge of Assad’s regime violations, Sousan said that the former regime “wanted the defection of those who could alleviate Syrians’ suffering and exploitation.” He claimed that not all state employees agreed with Assad’s policies, but in a “Republic of Fear,” no one could speak up or even breathe freely. In another context, Sousan commented on the horrifying images from Sednaya Prison, saying:
“We used to hear about Sednaya Prison and its horrors, but no one imagined the level of criminal creativity would reach this extent. What we saw was shocking, not just for Syrians who were the regime’s primary victims, but for the whole world because it’s immensely painful. Bashar al-Assad devoted all of Syria’s resources to committing crimes just to stay in power.”
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
