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he'd been granted a royal pardon by

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Syrian president Bashar al-assad and was

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due to be released later this week

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respect MP George Galloway had been

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speaking with the Syrian president and

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foreign minister about his arrangements

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to fly to Damascus to bring abis Khan

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home I was in touch daily for seven days

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uh with the foreign minister directly

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and uh I gave them my flight uh putative

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flight arrangements and we discussed the

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cars and the security uh for the

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Hazardous Journey Through the north of

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Lebanon and uh from the border to

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Damascus uh that's why I say it is

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inexplicable what has happened and did

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the foreign minister did he explain to

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you why they decided now of all times to

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release Mr Khan well I've been pushing

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for it for almost a year uh involving

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both the president and the foreign

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minister and other ministers the Justice

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Minister for example uh leing uh very

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regularly with the family the sister and

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the mother of the deceased and uh I did

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so because they asked me to and because

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I live in stram as did Dr KH and the

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local mosque where he worshiped came and

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asked me to try to rescue him from his

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plate and did the foreign Ministry

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explain why they decided to give a

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pardon now uh yes they told me they

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would always uh but that the case had to

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uh go through process as they put it the

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trial had to continue and the verdict

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would be set aside by the president and

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he would be released to me and I

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conveyed all of that to the family uh

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throughout the months that this was

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going on the foreign Ministry in Syria

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spoken to the BBC tonight and they are

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insistent that Mr Khan took his own life

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what's your what's your belief well I

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just can't believe that uh because I

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know that he knew that I was coming to

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get him just 4 days later

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and a man who' endured everything that

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he had endured over 12 months uh his

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weight fell as you may know to less than

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five Stone uh he underwent terrible uh

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ordeals in the jails in Syria uh which

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are not a pleasant place at the best of

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times and these are the worst of times

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uh it's just inconceivable that a man

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would commit suicide 4 days before a

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freedom that he had told his family he

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was desperately looking forward to I'm

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going to play you what the foreign

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office Minister Hugh Robertson has said

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about this and then get your reaction

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after this the fact remains that he went

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to Syria to help the people of Syria who

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are affected by the Civil War there is

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no excuse whatsoever for the treatment

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that he has suffered by the Syrian

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authorities who have in effect murdered

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a British national who was in their

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country to help people injured during

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their Civil War can you recall a time

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when a British government of any

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political persuasion has accused another

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government of murder well the British

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government is up to its neck in murder

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in Syria we are supporting with money

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and with so-called non-lethal military

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aid the tens maybe scores of thousands

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of foreign extremist jihadists who have

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swarmed into Syria and all around it and

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have killed uh many many thousands of

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people usually because of the minority

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religious group to which they belong so

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I don't take any lectures from a

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conservative min minister in Britain

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about murder in Syria but he's right in

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this respect Dr KH was an orthopedic

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surgeon he went to Syria out of

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religious conviction to help people

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injured uh sometimes awfully injured in

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the course of this grotesque war that

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Syria has suffered for three years so uh

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I I don't have much Sympathy for the

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foreign office they did virtually

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nothing to have Dr KH released and the

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only contact they had with me was to

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warn me not to go to Damascus to rescue

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him because they said they do not have

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command and control over these jihadists

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and that's precisely my point we're

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giving them guns we're giving them Aid

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of all kinds uh but we have no command

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and control over them it's a

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Frankenstein monster that we've been a

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part of creating there do you believe

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that Dr KH was murdered yes I'm certain

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that he was I disagree also with Mr

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Robertson in this respect it was the

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Syrian authorities the president and the

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foreign minister acting on the

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president's behalf that asked me to come

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and take Dr KH home for Christmas so I'm

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certain that it wasn't a decision of the

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Syrian leadership but in a way what's

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happened makes that even worse because

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clearly some elements of the Syrian

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Security Services are out of the control

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of the president and ready to defy his

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wishes and bring bring this disgrace

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upon their country so you think you

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convinced it was the security services

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that murdered him against the wishes of

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the president well the president would

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not have asked me write down to what

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plane are you getting off and we'll have

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a car waiting at the airport they would

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not have asked me to come if they were

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going to execute him four days before I

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got

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there he has written in his most recent

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letter that he's been kept this is a

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quote been kept in appalling and

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inhumane conditions seen my mental

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health markedly deteriorate I suffer

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from almost constant depression and

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suicidal ideation do you think given

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he's written that that there is any

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shred of credibility to the fact that he

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may have taken his own life I really

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don't uh because the family tell me that

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he knew that I was coming uh just 4 days

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later and that he was desperately

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looking forward to uh reuniting with a

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family that have uh fought every inch of

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the way in this terrible story to have

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him freed so I I really don't uh but of

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course he had suffered that order deal

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that uh reduced his weight uh to

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skeletal uh levels and uh who had no

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doubt uh uh which had no doubt had

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serious implications for his mental

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health but uh there's no reason to

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believe that 4 days before being

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released that he would take his own life

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have you spoken to his mother since you

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found this news out because she's been

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in Damascus hasn't she yeah no I speak

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to the sister in London uh regularly and

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I'm in touch with them regularly I think

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she the mother is now in Beirut and the

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best thing that the Syrian authorities

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can do now is to immediately release the

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body to the care of his family for

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religious reasons but also so that an

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independent autopsy can take place if

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that doesn't happen then not only will

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we never know the whole truth uh nobody

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but nobody and that includes me will

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believe the official story and will you

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be asking the president and the foreign

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minister to assist you with that request

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I have done uh I have done from the

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moment that I learned of his

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death amidst all of this and what it may

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or may not tell us about Syria and the

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fragility of what's going on there in

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the Civil War a family here has lost a

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son a father and a brother indeed it's

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an absolute unspeakable tragedy it's an

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obscenity and it brings disgrace uh on

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Syria and as I said given that I

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exculpate the president who wouldn't

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have invited me to come and uh bring The

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Prisoner home uh that means that there

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are elements ready to murder in defiance

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of the decisions of their political

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leadership and that doesn't augure well

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respect MP George Galloway talking to me

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there he was due to fly to Damascus at

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the end of the week to bring home Mr

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Abus Khan his brother sha Naas Khan will

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be on five live breakfast talking to

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Nikki Campbell and Rachel buron tomorrow

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morning from 6 a.m. 10:47 going to be

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talking about fracking before 11 on the

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front page of Chief International

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correspondent who's in Syria so George

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Galloway MP is in Westminster but you

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were about to fly out to Syria to try

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and bring Mr khah home I was uh I can't

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match the power of Le to set's report

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there which sums up the story uh

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perfectly but all I can add is that I

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was to fly to Beirut on Friday morning

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arriving late in the evening because I

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couldn't get a direct flight the Syrian

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government had laid on cars and security

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for the Hazardous Journey uh through the

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north of Lebanon where there's a lot of

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War uh going on now too and across the

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border and on the difficult Road from

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the border to the capital so the Syrian

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government uh were serious about

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releasing Dr Khan and it was the deputy

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foreign minister Mr mcdad that least

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just referred to who called me in my car

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about 10 days ago and asked me to be

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there before Christmas to receive him

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but this is really strange then isn't it

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because if the government of Syria

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wanted him to to be released as a so

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called gift to the UK why would the

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government of Syria then kill him well

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I'm sure that they didn't kill him but

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somebody killed him and that somebody

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has to be found within the security

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apparatus uh that is acting basically

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out of control a rogue uh Security

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Service the president's writ obviously

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doesn't run even throughout the

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government controlled areas and the

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public service because there's there is

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no way that the president himself

232
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through the foreign Minister would ask

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me to come and pick him up and then

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execute him equally there's no way that

235
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Dr KH would commit suicide 4 days before

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I was coming to take him home to see his

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beloved children I was going to ask you

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about that possibility I I don't know

239
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whether the balance of his mind was

240
00:09:44,519 --> 00:09:49,680
Disturbed but I guess we can't rule out

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suicide well we can't of course rule it

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00:09:49,680 --> 00:09:55,480
out we weren't there but uh uh I've just

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been with uh one of uh Dr K's Brothers

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sha aaz who was quoted earlier in your

245
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report and he told me that Dr KH was

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00:10:01,760 --> 00:10:06,640
well aware that I was coming to pick him

247
00:10:03,399 --> 00:10:08,880
up that he was elated he'd written in

248
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those terms he was elated couldn't wait

249
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for the moment and he had two small

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00:10:10,920 --> 00:10:15,959
children uh that he was desperate to be

251
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reunited with so um of course it could

252
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be suicide but it's just about the most

253
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unlikely suicide you can imagine there

254
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may be people who get in touch George

255
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and say look it is profoundly dangerous

256
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to go into Syria but not least if you go

257
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in on your own and and don't take

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anything away from how well-meaning Dr

259
00:10:31,240 --> 00:10:37,839
Khan was but to go in alone to help the

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rebels is a uh is a difficult and

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dangerous thing to do well uh he went

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00:10:40,920 --> 00:10:46,399
there not like these uh jihadist

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Fanatics that Britain is arming and

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financing to the teeth he went in there

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as an orthopedic surgeon to deal with

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the horrific wounds that are everywhere

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in Syria more than 100,000 people have

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died as you know uh and he did so for

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the the very best of humanitarian

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intentions of course he shouldn't have

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done it uh I'm sure that uh if if he had

272
00:11:06,639 --> 00:11:10,120
known how it would all end he wouldn't

273
00:11:08,760 --> 00:11:12,160
have done it he would have stayed on the

274
00:11:10,120 --> 00:11:14,320
Turkish side of the Border treating

275
00:11:12,160 --> 00:11:17,440
refugees which is what he originally uh

276
00:11:14,320 --> 00:11:19,760
was doing but of course Britain is up to

277
00:11:17,440 --> 00:11:22,279
its neck in all this we have been

278
00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:23,800
encouraging this war we've been funding

279
00:11:22,279 --> 00:11:26,040
it we've been providing it with

280
00:11:23,800 --> 00:11:28,839
political and diplomatic support and

281
00:11:26,040 --> 00:11:31,079
so-called non-lethal military aid this

282
00:11:28,839 --> 00:11:33,639
is has all got to stop now the Geneva

283
00:11:31,079 --> 00:11:36,200
talks begin in just a few days in

284
00:11:33,639 --> 00:11:38,040
January Geneva 2 it's time to bring this

285
00:11:36,200 --> 00:11:41,360
war to an end thank you very much George

286
00:11:38,040 --> 00:11:44,120
Galloway MP talking about the well it's

287
00:11:41,360 --> 00:11:47,079
inexplicable I was booked to fly to

288
00:11:44,120 --> 00:11:50,399
Beirut and be whisked by Syrian

289
00:11:47,079 --> 00:11:54,399
government car from Beirut Airport past

290
00:11:50,399 --> 00:11:57,720
the uh Wild Frontier and onward to

291
00:11:54,399 --> 00:11:59,920
Damascus to take delivery of Dr KH to

292
00:11:57,720 --> 00:12:04,120
bring him home to his family for

293
00:11:59,920 --> 00:12:06,600
Christmas and it's inexplicable that the

294
00:12:04,120 --> 00:12:10,200
uh leadership in Syria would have asked

295
00:12:06,600 --> 00:12:12,480
me to do that indeed pressed me and

296
00:12:10,200 --> 00:12:15,680
called me and texted me almost every day

297
00:12:12,480 --> 00:12:18,480
for a week to make all the necessary

298
00:12:15,680 --> 00:12:20,959
arrangements if they were planning to uh

299
00:12:18,480 --> 00:12:23,480
execute him so I have absolutely no

300
00:12:20,959 --> 00:12:27,040
doubt that the Syrian political

301
00:12:23,480 --> 00:12:29,199
leadership is not involved in this crime

302
00:12:27,040 --> 00:12:31,680
did how did you come to learn of his

303
00:12:29,199 --> 00:12:35,959
death I mean at what stage the day

304
00:12:31,680 --> 00:12:39,160
before you did the sister of Dr K called

305
00:12:35,959 --> 00:12:42,600
me hysterically to say that her brother

306
00:12:39,160 --> 00:12:45,639
had one hour before been found dead in

307
00:12:42,600 --> 00:12:48,199
his cell that Dr KH knew and that I was

308
00:12:45,639 --> 00:12:51,120
coming to pick him up 4 days later it is

309
00:12:48,199 --> 00:12:53,600
therefore equally inexplicable that he

310
00:12:51,120 --> 00:12:56,720
committed suicide because he had already

311
00:12:53,600 --> 00:12:59,760
told his family how elated he was about

312
00:12:56,720 --> 00:13:03,320
his impending release and his return to

313
00:12:59,760 --> 00:13:07,040
them that leaves only one option that

314
00:13:03,320 --> 00:13:10,440
someone in the Syrian apparatus M this

315
00:13:07,040 --> 00:13:12,639
man against the orders of the president

316
00:13:10,440 --> 00:13:15,040
of the Republic and that doesn't Ure

317
00:13:12,639 --> 00:13:17,760
well have have you had any further

318
00:13:15,040 --> 00:13:20,560
contact with the government in Syria to

319
00:13:17,760 --> 00:13:23,079
clarify matters at all yes constantly

320
00:13:20,560 --> 00:13:25,680
and I'm calling on them now to

321
00:13:23,079 --> 00:13:28,240
immediately release his body to his

322
00:13:25,680 --> 00:13:30,360
family for lots of reasons but the most

323
00:13:28,240 --> 00:13:32,959
important being that that's the only way

324
00:13:30,360 --> 00:13:36,240
that an independent autopsy can be

325
00:13:32,959 --> 00:13:39,000
conducted on Dr K's body and if that

326
00:13:36,240 --> 00:13:41,959
doesn't happen then no one will ever

327
00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:44,680
believe the Syrian government story

328
00:13:41,959 --> 00:13:47,000
including me what do you make of these

329
00:13:44,680 --> 00:13:49,480
claims from various quarters including

330
00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:52,320
of course Dr Khan's family that the

331
00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:54,959
British foreign office did not act

332
00:13:52,320 --> 00:13:57,000
decisively enough or forcefully enough

333
00:13:54,959 --> 00:13:59,480
to try and obtain his release given that

334
00:13:57,000 --> 00:14:02,079
he was a medical doctor reportedly

335
00:13:59,480 --> 00:14:04,240
carrying out humanitarian work well they

336
00:14:02,079 --> 00:14:07,120
didn't act at all the British foreign

337
00:14:04,240 --> 00:14:10,160
office did absolutely nothing to get Dr

338
00:14:07,120 --> 00:14:13,360
Khan out of prison in Syria in fact the

339
00:14:10,160 --> 00:14:15,600
only contact I had with them was two

340
00:14:13,360 --> 00:14:18,399
telephone calls in which they told me

341
00:14:15,600 --> 00:14:22,240
not to go to bring him back because they

342
00:14:18,399 --> 00:14:25,720
could not guarantee my safety in any way

343
00:14:22,240 --> 00:14:28,519
could not help me in any way uh to carry

344
00:14:25,720 --> 00:14:32,680
out this Mission they said that they had

345
00:14:28,519 --> 00:14:35,639
no command and control over the violent

346
00:14:32,680 --> 00:14:38,240
Fanatics that they have been paying for

347
00:14:35,639 --> 00:14:41,360
and helping to arm these last three

348
00:14:38,240 --> 00:14:43,399
years in Syria I pointed out that their

349
00:14:41,360 --> 00:14:45,279
lack of command and control over this

350
00:14:43,399 --> 00:14:48,560
Frankenstein monster that they have

351
00:14:45,279 --> 00:14:50,759
created have been precisely my point

352
00:14:48,560 --> 00:14:54,519
over the last three years they have

353
00:14:50,759 --> 00:14:56,720
built this monster of violent Fanatics

354
00:14:54,519 --> 00:14:59,240
and they have no command and control

355
00:14:56,720 --> 00:15:02,000
over them that is good a definition of a

356
00:14:59,240 --> 00:15:04,639
Frankenstein monster as it's possible to

357
00:15:02,000 --> 00:15:06,880
imagine but you you yourself you were

358
00:15:04,639 --> 00:15:08,720
determined to go ahead with your journey

359
00:15:06,880 --> 00:15:10,279
to Damascus in spite of the foreign

360
00:15:08,720 --> 00:15:12,079
office warning I mean were they just

361
00:15:10,279 --> 00:15:13,759
playing the health and safety card or do

362
00:15:12,079 --> 00:15:15,560
you think they were uh politically

363
00:15:13,759 --> 00:15:18,040
motivated to stop you

364
00:15:15,560 --> 00:15:21,399
going it could have been the latter it

365
00:15:18,040 --> 00:15:24,600
definitely was the former uh their

366
00:15:21,399 --> 00:15:28,360
impotence in this whole picture is uh a

367
00:15:24,600 --> 00:15:31,480
very very powerful message of the need

368
00:15:28,360 --> 00:15:33,560
for diplomatic relations if they hadn't

369
00:15:31,480 --> 00:15:36,880
broken off diplomatic relations in

370
00:15:33,560 --> 00:15:39,440
Damascus and expelled the Syrian Embassy

371
00:15:36,880 --> 00:15:41,759
and Consular staff here in London uh

372
00:15:39,440 --> 00:15:45,600
then they wouldn't have been dependent

373
00:15:41,759 --> 00:15:47,480
on a 55y old woman Dr K's mother who'

374
00:15:45,600 --> 00:15:49,000
never been out of this country before

375
00:15:47,480 --> 00:15:50,759
but who somehow managed to get to

376
00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:55,000
Damascus and reach all the leading

377
00:15:50,759 --> 00:15:57,560
players in Damascus over many months

378
00:15:55,000 --> 00:16:00,480
they wouldn't have been dependent on me

379
00:15:57,560 --> 00:16:04,279
whom they obviously didn't want to see

380
00:16:00,480 --> 00:16:06,079
Vindicated by bringing Dr KH home they

381
00:16:04,279 --> 00:16:08,839
would have been able to do these things

382
00:16:06,079 --> 00:16:11,000
themselves so obviously in your view the

383
00:16:08,839 --> 00:16:13,560
British government have mishandled their

384
00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:16,120
their whole position on Syria well

385
00:16:13,560 --> 00:16:19,800
Britain is up to its neck in the blood

386
00:16:16,120 --> 00:16:21,720
and gore in Syria there's been more than

387
00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:24,800
110,000 lives

388
00:16:21,720 --> 00:16:27,519
lost including the life of Dr K and

389
00:16:24,800 --> 00:16:30,319
Britain is deeply culpable in all of

390
00:16:27,519 --> 00:16:33,040
them what do you see happening now do

391
00:16:30,319 --> 00:16:35,199
you think the death of Dr Khan will uh

392
00:16:33,040 --> 00:16:37,639
have any effect on foreign policy will

393
00:16:35,199 --> 00:16:38,639
Mr hay get involved in this now or be it

394
00:16:37,639 --> 00:16:41,839
uh too

395
00:16:38,639 --> 00:16:45,560
late well the British uh under American

396
00:16:41,839 --> 00:16:49,160
orders have already executed a uturn on

397
00:16:45,560 --> 00:16:52,040
their policy towards Syria and Iran I

398
00:16:49,160 --> 00:16:55,680
may say that now move their traveling to

399
00:16:52,040 --> 00:16:59,759
to KV and the Ukraine uh but they have

400
00:16:55,680 --> 00:17:02,279
given up in Iran and Syria and whereas

401
00:16:59,759 --> 00:17:05,319
just a few months ago we were uh on the

402
00:17:02,279 --> 00:17:08,600
tarmac revving uh to send a mission to

403
00:17:05,319 --> 00:17:11,959
start bombing Syria uh we have now under

404
00:17:08,600 --> 00:17:14,720
American orders uh begun to pursue a

405
00:17:11,959 --> 00:17:15,480
policy of diplomacy but too little and

406
00:17:14,720 --> 00:17:17,679
too

407
00:17:15,480 --> 00:17:19,280
late what do you mean by that remark

408
00:17:17,679 --> 00:17:22,280
about Ukraine what what do you see the

409
00:17:19,280 --> 00:17:24,039
British involvement in Ukraine being

410
00:17:22,280 --> 00:17:28,160
well Britain the European Union the

411
00:17:24,039 --> 00:17:29,160
United States uh John McCain and so on

412
00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:32,280
uh

413
00:17:29,160 --> 00:17:33,360
Russia's brilliant scintillatingly

414
00:17:32,280 --> 00:17:36,720
brilliant

415
00:17:33,360 --> 00:17:39,000
diplomacy over the Syria question have

416
00:17:36,720 --> 00:17:40,679
uh sought to get their revenge on the

417
00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:42,919
streets of Kev that's what they're doing

418
00:17:40,679 --> 00:17:44,760
now you're not going to make yourself

419
00:17:42,919 --> 00:17:47,640
terribly popular in uh government

420
00:17:44,760 --> 00:17:49,000
circles with these remarks are you well

421
00:17:47,640 --> 00:17:51,559
the last thing in the whole world I

422
00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:54,240
would like to be is popular amongst the

423
00:17:51,559 --> 00:17:56,840
ranks of the the David Cameron Nick

424
00:17:54,240 --> 00:17:59,120
plague condemn coalition government from

425
00:17:56,840 --> 00:18:01,400
abas Khan will the respect MP for

426
00:17:59,120 --> 00:18:03,480
Bradford West George Galloway had been

427
00:18:01,400 --> 00:18:06,120
due to fly to the region this week to

428
00:18:03,480 --> 00:18:08,840
collect Mr Khan he told me how he became

429
00:18:06,120 --> 00:18:12,280
involved with the case well I live in

430
00:18:08,840 --> 00:18:14,000
stram as did Dr KH and he worshiped at

431
00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:16,440
the local mosque around the corner from

432
00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:19,000
my house and the Moss came around the

433
00:18:16,440 --> 00:18:21,840
family approached me and they thought

434
00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:23,840
that I would be well placed to negotiate

435
00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:27,080
his release and I've been working on

436
00:18:23,840 --> 00:18:30,000
this case now for almost a year about 7

437
00:18:27,080 --> 00:18:32,559
days ago I got a call whil driving in my

438
00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:35,000
car from the foreign minister of Syria

439
00:18:32,559 --> 00:18:37,200
who said that the president himself had

440
00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:41,400
asked him to call me and that I should

441
00:18:37,200 --> 00:18:44,480
make haste to Damascus to pick up Dr K

442
00:18:41,400 --> 00:18:47,679
and bring him home to his family and so

443
00:18:44,480 --> 00:18:49,799
advanced was this that uh I had actually

444
00:18:47,679 --> 00:18:52,120
made my flight reservations for this

445
00:18:49,799 --> 00:18:56,320
Friday and the Syrian government had

446
00:18:52,120 --> 00:18:59,520
made o arrangements for a motor car and

447
00:18:56,320 --> 00:19:01,640
security Convoy to to take the rather

448
00:18:59,520 --> 00:19:03,919
hazardous Journey Through the north of

449
00:19:01,640 --> 00:19:06,640
Lebanon past Tripoli which is itself a

450
00:19:03,919 --> 00:19:08,799
war zone and across the Syrian border to

451
00:19:06,640 --> 00:19:12,039
Damascus so you can imagine how

452
00:19:08,799 --> 00:19:15,159
flabbergasted I was when uh 4 days

453
00:19:12,039 --> 00:19:17,200
before setting off to bring doctor khol

454
00:19:15,159 --> 00:19:19,880
I got the call to say that he was now

455
00:19:17,200 --> 00:19:22,880
dead and they said he had killed

456
00:19:19,880 --> 00:19:24,880
himself yes I learned this from Dr

457
00:19:22,880 --> 00:19:27,440
Khan's sister and I immediately phoned

458
00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:30,120
the foreign minister and he told me that

459
00:19:27,440 --> 00:19:33,000
uh he had not been executed he had

460
00:19:30,120 --> 00:19:34,960
committed suicide I've now had three

461
00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:38,159
different uh telephone conversations

462
00:19:34,960 --> 00:19:41,600
with him and five texts and they're

463
00:19:38,159 --> 00:19:45,600
sticking to the story that uh Dr KH 4

464
00:19:41,600 --> 00:19:47,559
days before his putative release hanged

465
00:19:45,600 --> 00:19:49,280
himself with his pajamas in his prison

466
00:19:47,559 --> 00:19:51,280
cell and I simply don't believe it can't

467
00:19:49,280 --> 00:19:53,480
believe it what do you think happened

468
00:19:51,280 --> 00:19:55,799
well it's inconceivable that the

469
00:19:53,480 --> 00:19:58,240
government the minister the president

470
00:19:55,799 --> 00:19:59,840
would have asked me to come to pick a

471
00:19:58,240 --> 00:20:02,440
come up if they were going to execute

472
00:19:59,840 --> 00:20:06,000
him 4 days before I got there so I'm

473
00:20:02,440 --> 00:20:08,039
ruling out the Syrian government leaders

474
00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:10,080
themselves being involved in this

475
00:20:08,039 --> 00:20:12,559
killing but I'm equally ruling out the

476
00:20:10,080 --> 00:20:15,799
idea of suicide so that seems to point

477
00:20:12,559 --> 00:20:18,640
in the direction of a rift somehow

478
00:20:15,799 --> 00:20:20,880
somewhere within the Syrian regime and

479
00:20:18,640 --> 00:20:24,440
some elements of the security services

480
00:20:20,880 --> 00:20:27,000
for some reason murdering this innocent

481
00:20:24,440 --> 00:20:28,440
uh and helpless prisoner the British

482
00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:30,960
government's calling it murder you you

483
00:20:28,440 --> 00:20:32,760
concur with that it's murder most foul

484
00:20:30,960 --> 00:20:35,559
in my view first of all he's a very

485
00:20:32,760 --> 00:20:38,200
religious man the Lord hath set his

486
00:20:35,559 --> 00:20:40,760
Cannon against self-slaughter and for

487
00:20:38,200 --> 00:20:43,520
Muslims that's an absolute given

488
00:20:40,760 --> 00:20:46,000
secondly having undergone an ordeal of

489
00:20:43,520 --> 00:20:50,039
12 months during which he his weight

490
00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:51,880
dropped below Five Stone the idea that 4

491
00:20:50,039 --> 00:20:54,600
days before I was to take him home to

492
00:20:51,880 --> 00:20:56,440
his family he would kill himself is just

493
00:20:54,600 --> 00:20:59,520
out of the question in my view simple

494
00:20:56,440 --> 00:21:01,880
common sense it rules that that out

495
00:20:59,520 --> 00:21:03,760
George Galloway MP well I'm joined now

496
00:21:01,880 --> 00:21:05,440
on the line from Damascus by our chief

497
00:21:03,760 --> 00:21:07,039
International correspondent Le duet

498
00:21:05,440 --> 00:21:09,520
there is I think a little bit of a delay

499
00:21:07,039 --> 00:21:13,559
on the line but at least what are the

500
00:21:09,520 --> 00:21:16,159
Syrian authorities saying to you about

501
00:21:13,559 --> 00:21:18,400
this it's been quite an astonishing and

502
00:21:16,159 --> 00:21:20,640
shocking turn of events uh Roger you

503
00:21:18,400 --> 00:21:22,279
heard uh George Galloway telling about

504
00:21:20,640 --> 00:21:24,880
the detailed preparations I've seen

505
00:21:22,279 --> 00:21:26,600
those text messages myself uh the fisel

506
00:21:24,880 --> 00:21:29,520
mechad the deputy foreign minister who

507
00:21:26,600 --> 00:21:31,279
was his main contact showed me those uh

508
00:21:29,520 --> 00:21:33,400
what their conversation had been about

509
00:21:31,279 --> 00:21:35,440
and a few days earlier we had been told

510
00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:37,720
by the Syrian government that yes indeed

511
00:21:35,440 --> 00:21:40,640
Dr abas Khan would be freed and they

512
00:21:37,720 --> 00:21:43,039
were clearly pleased by that so

513
00:21:40,640 --> 00:21:44,840
obviously something has gone terribly

514
00:21:43,039 --> 00:21:47,279
wrong this was something ordered from

515
00:21:44,840 --> 00:21:49,159
the very top president Assad ordered it

516
00:21:47,279 --> 00:21:52,320
it was clear that his wife a British

517
00:21:49,159 --> 00:21:54,159
citizen Asma alassad was also part of

518
00:21:52,320 --> 00:21:56,200
this they were hoping as to use their

519
00:21:54,159 --> 00:21:58,039
words this was meant to be a Christmas

520
00:21:56,200 --> 00:22:00,279
present to the people of Britain from

521
00:21:58,039 --> 00:22:02,679
from the people of Syria but something

522
00:22:00,279 --> 00:22:05,679
terrible has happened in those last

523
00:22:02,679 --> 00:22:07,520
moments in Dr abbas's Cell we were told

524
00:22:05,679 --> 00:22:09,200
that he was given his breakfast at 7:00

525
00:22:07,520 --> 00:22:11,320
in the morning but when they checked on

526
00:22:09,200 --> 00:22:14,200
him at 9:00 between 900 and 9:30 and

527
00:22:11,320 --> 00:22:17,320
knocked on on his his cell door that

528
00:22:14,200 --> 00:22:19,159
there was no answer but Dr mcdad the

529
00:22:17,320 --> 00:22:21,640
deputy foreign minister was categorical

530
00:22:19,159 --> 00:22:24,480
that a government autopsy has confirmed

531
00:22:21,640 --> 00:22:26,520
for them that this was a suicide and

532
00:22:24,480 --> 00:22:28,799
when I asked him well is it possible

533
00:22:26,520 --> 00:22:30,520
that intelligence services members of

534
00:22:28,799 --> 00:22:32,320
the intelligence Services could have

535
00:22:30,520 --> 00:22:35,440
acted differently he said this was

536
00:22:32,320 --> 00:22:37,880
impossible no one would differ with the

537
00:22:35,440 --> 00:22:39,600
decision of the president do you get the

538
00:22:37,880 --> 00:22:43,159
impression the Syrian authorities are

539
00:22:39,600 --> 00:22:43,159
very dismayed by what

540
00:22:43,320 --> 00:22:49,840
happened shocked shock I I seeing Dr mad

541
00:22:47,440 --> 00:22:51,240
he was clearly shocked and seeing the

542
00:22:49,840 --> 00:22:53,240
officials who told us he would be

543
00:22:51,240 --> 00:22:55,039
released they clearly wanted this to

544
00:22:53,240 --> 00:22:57,000
happen this is a government which is

545
00:22:55,039 --> 00:22:59,799
trying at least let's say this is the

546
00:22:57,000 --> 00:23:00,840
the foreign Ministry and the around

547
00:22:59,799 --> 00:23:03,039
president the people around president

548
00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:05,240
Assad want to improve relations with the

549
00:23:03,039 --> 00:23:07,320
west and they have been very confident

550
00:23:05,240 --> 00:23:08,880
of late thinking that their narrative

551
00:23:07,320 --> 00:23:11,279
which is that this is a war against

552
00:23:08,880 --> 00:23:13,080
terrorism look at the divisions among

553
00:23:11,279 --> 00:23:15,880
the opposition look at the growing

554
00:23:13,080 --> 00:23:18,760
extremism look at the attacks uh by the

555
00:23:15,880 --> 00:23:21,320
groups linked to Al-Qaeda and there has

556
00:23:18,760 --> 00:23:23,799
have been murmurings in the west uh that

557
00:23:21,320 --> 00:23:25,640
perhaps the Real Enemy of the West is

558
00:23:23,799 --> 00:23:27,960
not president Assad's regime but

559
00:23:25,640 --> 00:23:30,600
actually the islamist so things were

560
00:23:27,960 --> 00:23:32,039
beginning to turn uh in the minds of

561
00:23:30,600 --> 00:23:33,200
people here they always felt confident

562
00:23:32,039 --> 00:23:34,760
that eventually the West would come

563
00:23:33,200 --> 00:23:37,360
around and they felt Vindicated there's

564
00:23:34,760 --> 00:23:39,200
a kind of I Told You So This is a

565
00:23:37,360 --> 00:23:41,799
setback but I think it will be up to

566
00:23:39,200 --> 00:23:44,080
Britain in particular to decide how much

567
00:23:41,799 --> 00:23:46,320
of a setback this will be the

568
00:23:44,080 --> 00:23:48,840
authorities in Damascus will not want it

569
00:23:46,320 --> 00:23:51,080
to be a setback and in fact as George

570
00:23:48,840 --> 00:23:53,240
Galloway has hinted too their most their

571
00:23:51,080 --> 00:23:56,520
biggest political problem now is what is

572
00:23:53,240 --> 00:23:58,480
the wrangling and the uh the accusations

573
00:23:56,520 --> 00:24:00,400
and the uh uh

574
00:23:58,480 --> 00:24:02,360
recrimination and perhaps even more

575
00:24:00,400 --> 00:24:04,440
that's likely to result cuz somebody if

576
00:24:02,360 --> 00:24:07,039
it if indeed he was murdered if we take

577
00:24:04,440 --> 00:24:09,400
that version of events who did it and

578
00:24:07,039 --> 00:24:11,200
who dared to defy the president's orders

579
00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:13,120
Lee thank you Lee do set there on the

580
00:24:11,200 --> 00:24:17,159
line from

581
00:24:13,120 --> 00:24:17,159
Damascus hunger is become