Syria's Dictator Bashar Assad In Iran To Congratulate Mahmoud Ahmadenijad On His Re-Selection As President

The Jerusalem Post reports that Syria's leader Bashar "Assad is a close Iranian ally" who is using his trip to Iran to "personally congratulate Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, on his re-election, which touched off massive unrest after opponents claimed the results were rigged... But much of the international attention Wednesday focused on whether Assad lobbies for the release of Clotilde Reiss, a French academic on trial with more than 100 politicians, journalists and activists accused of trying to engineer a 'velvet revolution' to overthrow the Islamic leadership."

Ynetnews.com reports that "Iranian media reported that Assad had come to Iran to congratulate Ahmadinejad on his reelection. 'With the help of God, the resistance of the region's people will prevail and they will suffer a great defeat,' the Iranian president said during his meeting with his Syrian counterpart. 'Iran and Syria are on the same front, and any political event is an opportunity which must be used at the best way possible while helping one another,' he added. Assad condemned the 'foreign intervention' in Iran's internal affairs, saying that the main reason for this was the West's fear of Syria and Iran's success in the coming years. 'I believe the Iranian people's reelection is another emphasis on the fact that Iran and Syria must continue the regional policy as in the past,' the Syrian president said. He added, 'Today I came here to give you and the Iranian people warm greetings. I think that what happened in Iran is an important thing and a big lesson to the foreigners, and therefore they are not very satisfied.'" Tweet