Suzy Saroyan is a Syrian Armenian living in Aleppo. She is an Agricultural Engineer. She was interviewed by Steven Sahiounie who is an American-Syrian journalist.
Steven:From news reports we hear that the Armenian Church and community are being attacked, and have suffered deaths and destruction recently. Can you tell us what you have seen?
Suzy: It is true that our church and community was recently attacked by the American backed rebels, who are actually terrorists and criminal mercenaries. We have lost many Armenians in Aleppo recently, but I must remind you we have always been suffering and under attack from these Radical terrorists since Aleppo came under their attacks and infiltration 4 years ago. This is not the first time, but only the most recent.
Steven: Can you tell us how many churches have come under stack by the rebels in Syria?
Suzy:According to online sources, at least 63 churches have been totally destroyed by terrorists, and over 100 have been attacked.
Steven: We know that in USA there are millions of Armenians, more than those in Syria. I am thinking of places like Boston, Fresno and Glendale. We know that many of those American Armenians are from Syrian roots. What is your opinion of the response of the American Armenian community to the suffering in Syria?
Suzy: I see there is no response from the American Armenian community. They certainly dont show any solidarity with us here. I feel they have lost any connection with their brothers in the Middle East. I read the Armenian media from the USA, and I see they are very focused on the Genocide recognition issue, the nation called Armenia, and the domestic Armenian community. When they mention Syria it is just a news article with facts given, but they never delve deeper into the Why this is happening, or to offer a plan to stop the war in Syria.
Steven: Do you feel the American Armenian community can do anything to stop the war in Syria?
Suzy: The American Armenian community holds all the power to stop the war in Syria. They are for the most part wealthy and protective taxpayers and voters. American Armenians are model citizens. By forming groups, or acting individually, they could contact their elected Congressional officials, who they put into office, and demand of them to stop all support of rebels in Syria. These are the rebels who are raping, maiming and killing Syrian Armenians, Syrian Christians and Syrian Muslims.
Steven: Why do you think the American Armenians dont do this?
Suzy: When you live in USA you become Americanized. You believe that the US media is telling you the truth. You dont want to face the fact that the US media is political propaganda, brainwashing you into believing the Syrian war is a civil war, or a sectarian war. The US media wants you to think that the Syrian war cannot be stopped by any outside influence. They want you to think it is an internal problem, with no external component. This notion is completely false. It is the American backed rebels who are the problem. They began as one group, The Syrian Free Army, and they are now dozens of groups, all aligned with Al Qaeda and at the same time supported and protected by USA.
Steven: Are there any moderate rebels who dont attack unarmed civilians, churches, schools or hospitals?
Suzy: No. There are no moderate rebels inside Syria. Syria is home to 18 different religious sects. The Armenian community is just one of them. If the fight in Syria were a real revolution, then you would see militias formed from all the various sects in Syria, including the many Christian sects, just like we saw in the 25 year civil war in Lebanon. However, you dont have that situation in Syria. You have only 1 sect, the Wahhabi Muslim sect, who has formed numerous armed groups, which are aligned with Al Qaeda type terrorists. These various groups have the backing of USA and the financial support of Saudi Arabia, who is a Wahhabi Kingdom without any form of freedom or democracy. Saudi Arabia is the ultimate so called Islamic State.
Steven: Why does USA support a bloody revolution in Syria?
Suzy: USAs foreign policy on Syria is to achieve regime change at any cost. They want to remove the current elected President Bashar al Assad and replace him with an American puppet government. Remember what America did in Iraq, Egypt and Libya? These were all classic regime change policies supported and carried out by America. Syria was to be the prize, but the Syrian people are resisting and fighting back to retain their own secular form of government.
Steven: The US media says the Syrian Arab Army is all Alowis, and Assad Loyalists. Is that true?
Suzy: Is the US Army and Military all Obama Loyalists? Are they wearing a uniform and serving in distant lands under hardship because they worship President Obama? The American military would laugh in your face at such rubbish. The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) is made up of every healthy male over the age of 18 who is not enrolled in University. This is a compulsory National service. These fighting men, and women, are from every religious and ethnic group in Syria, including Armenians. They are fighting to defend Syria and their values and culture. They are fighting to prevent the ISIS from taking control in Syria. While USA is supporting the terrorists who want to establish a so called Islamic State in Syria, such as Ahrar al Sham. If this were to happen, all Christians in Syria would either be slaughtered, or have to leave as refugees, with no hope of return. Syria is part of the Holy Land, from Bible days. Damascus was a Christian capital, with churches and a Cathedral, while the Europeans were still worshiping stones and bonfires. We will never allow Christians to be wiped out of the Middle East and the Holy Lands.
Steven: Why do you think the American Christian community doesnt voice their solidarity with Syrian Christians?
Suzy: I think the American Christian community is only aware of themselves. They focus on their own church, their own family, and their own community. They are very insulated and isolated. They feel they are Americans first, before Christians. They accept the US policy on Syria, or they will claim to not be aware of the US policy to destroy Syria. They like to hide behind ignorance. If you confront them with the facts that the US government is supporting Radical terrorists they will assert that the American government is fighting terrorism. If you try to explain it to them, they get offended and feel that it is unpatriotic to object to a US foreign policy. They also claim they have no voice: no say in their government. They like to claim there is nothing they could do to change US policy. In the end, they accept all the massacres and atrocities committed in Syria by the US backed rebels, as collateral damage.
Steven: On March 21, 2014 there was an attack and massacre on the Syrian Armenian village at Kessab. Can you tell us what happened there?
Suzy: Everyone was asleep in their own homes. The Turkish military started the attack using helicopters and large canons to shoot at the police station in Kessab. The Turkish military allowed the terrorists to easily cross the border into Kessab, from Turkey. Without the Turkish militarys helicopters and canon, the attack could not have happened. The terrorists came house to house killing and attacking. The able bodied residents took flight to Latakia in their cars. However, there were 24 very elderly persons who were not able to move quickly, and were kidnapped and held captive by the terrorists. The terrorists included the American backed Free Syrian Army, as well as other Al Qaeda linked terrorist groups, some of who were actually westerners, such as Australians. This was evidenced by the letters they left behind. They killed many persons that morning: it was a massacre, and they beheaded some. They took the elderly captives to Turkey and held them against their will for 3 months of abuse, during which time 1 person died there. On April 1, 2014 the American Ambassador to Turkey, Francis J. Riccardone, Jr arrived in Vikifly, Turkey to visit the kidnap victims. He brought the well know translator Nezar Khalil with him. The elderly captives begged for him to release them and send them to Latakia, to be reunited with relatives and neighbors there at the church. He refused to help them, even though it was the American backed rebels, the FSA, who held them in Turkey. On April 1, 2014 the President of the Syrian National Coalition, Ahmed Jarba, visited Kessab, in order to congratulate his victorious troops on the attack and occupation of Kessab. On May 23, 2014 he was sitting at the White House with Pres. Obama and Susan Rice. All 3 churches were attacked and damaged, the cultural center was destroyed to the ground, the houses, shops, restaurants and hotels were destroyed, or damaged. Kessab is still unrepaired because of a lack of funds. The people in Kessab are apple growers and soap makers. They were not wealthy people. Kessab still has the wall graffiti of the terrorists who wrote, Be Muslim or Die.
Steven: Did the US government condemn the attack?
Suzy: Yes, they condemned the attack, but accepted no complicity. This was a direct lie. Turkey could not have attacked Kessab, Syria without the full knowledge of USA. The American backed rebels could not have attacked Kessab without the full knowledge and support of the US government. It is the CIA office in Adana who oversaw and directed those attacks, destruction and occupation, and kidnappings. Victoria Nuland, of the State Department, and Samantha Power at the UN, both issued a similar statement, saying the US regrets loss of life in Kessab, but that the attackers were not part of any US affiliated group. This is a blatant lie proven by the fact that on April 1, 2014 the SNC Present Ahmed Jarba visited Kessab personally to congratulate his victorious troops there, and his troops are the American backed Free Syrian Army. He took photos there and released them all over the internet, documenting his visit to the massacre site at Kessab. On May 23, 2014 Ahmed Jarba was sitting in the White House with President Obama and Susan Rice and others. This proves that the Obama administration was fully aware of the massacre, destruction, occupation and kidnappings which all occurred in Kessab.
Steven: What was the American Armenian response to the massacre at Kessab?
Suzy: Various celebrities and various organizations expressed outrage and shock, but no action was taken to follow up. They all seemed to believe the US government press releases that the government was blameless.
Steven: Did donations, supplies and repairs arrive in Kessab?
Suzy: No. Kessab did not receive any of the million US dollars raised by various American Armenian groups and churches. The money was sent to Beirut, Lebanon but has never arrived in Kessab. Some private donations from Syrian people has arrived, and the Russian government distributed some food baskets to most of the people in Kessab, and some school supplies arrived from a charity in USA, but that is all. The 2,000 residents of Kessab are still struggling with lack of food, lack of money to make necessary repairs to their homes. For example, they have lost doors and windows in the attack, and have lost every piece of furniture and household appliances, even dishes, forks and spoons.
Steven: Why would terrorists steal refrigerators or stoves?
Suzy: The terrorists did not steal the household items. It was the Turkoman people, who are Syrian citizens, but have moved to Turkey, and they support the terrorists. Pres. Erdogan of Turkey calls the Turkoman of Syria, My Grey Wolves. It was one of them who shot the Russian pilot dead while he was parachuting down from his plane. The Turkoman came to Kessab with the terrorists and they used huge cargo trucks to transport the household items to Turkey where they sold them all at cheap prices to the Turkish people in second hand shops. This was witnessed by the kidnap victims in Kessab.
Steven: Final question: Why do you think the US allows their ally, Turkey, to be a support base for hundreds of thousands of armed terrorists?