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Couric's sit-down with al-Assad sported an Exclusive label, just as Diane Sawyer's (subscription required) interview with him for ABC had done in February--Ann Curry gained similar access for NBC in May but had the restraint not to claim exclusivity. Couric reminded us that Syria has a "reputation as a rogue state" and asserted that Damascus is a transit point for "hundreds of al-Qaeda foreign fighters recruited throughout the Arab World" who are "escorted across the Iraq border to become human bombs." Her "hundreds" number seems high since many suicide bombers in Iraq are local citizens and many others must have crossed from elsewhere but she offered no source to substantiate her statistic.
In response, the soft-spoken, slightly lisping President al-Assad presented a perfect picture of rational calm. Of course Syria wants Iraq to be stable and democratic: "Chaos is contagious. If we have chaos in Iraq this means it will work against our interests." Of course Syria tries to stop terrorist infiltration of Iraq: "We caught many coming from the airport but most of them, they do not come through the airport, they come through illegal borders, and we caught them." Of course Syria wants an end to the military occupation of Iraq: "Definitely yes--as a principle. How and when? That is an Iraqi issue."
Unable to ruffle the president in her one-on-one, Couric's skepticism was confined to her set-up piece. She called al-Assad "one of the region's greatest jugglers" with Damascus acting as the "hub" where he offers refuge and support for "a diverse mix of terror organizations blacklisted by the US government." The PFLP, Hezbollah, Hamas…in all Couric counted 15 factions, secular and fundamentalist, Sunni and Shiite: "Damascus is a safe haven where extremist leaders are granted diplomatic immunity along with channels for arms smuggling and logistical support."
CBS' Syria coverage was not all scary, however. Couric closed with a travelogue feature from the village of Malula in the Qalamoun Mountains were the Christian locals speak ancient Aramaic, the vernacular dialect of Hebrew that Jesus of Nazareth would have used. She showed us the village priest recite "the Lord's Prayer in the language of Jesus."
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