Syria Files - Re: Important: Following Up on Our Meeting

The Syria Files,
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The Syria Files

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# The Syria Files

Thursday 5 July 2012, WikiLeaks began publishing the Syria Files – more than two million emails from Syrian political figures, ministries and associated companies, dating from August 2006 to March 2012. This extraordinary data set derives from 680 Syria-related entities or domain names, including those of the Ministries of Presidential Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Finance, Information, Transport and Culture. At this time Syria is undergoing a violent internal conflict that has killed between 6,000 and 15,000 people in the last 18 months. The Syria Files shine a light on the inner workings of the Syrian government and economy, but they also reveal how the West and Western companies say one thing and do another.

## Re: Important: Following Up on Our Meeting

Email-ID | 2103480
Date | 2011-03-29 05:09:44
From | b.shaaban@mopa.gov.sy
To | b.shaaban@mopa.gov.sy, bobby@teamsager.org

Dear Bob, Thank you so much for your kind and warm message which I relayed to H. E the President. I do feel proud to be your friend and I know how much the president enjoys your company and appreciates your friendship. Your message came at a time that
Syria is getting out of the tunnel. HE the president will address the Syrian People tomorrow and today millions of Syrians went out on the streets in most towns to say: NO to sectarianism, and YES to Syria, but during these difficult days we were able to
discover our true and lasting friends and allow me to say you are top on the list. I hope that you and your family will visit us in the near future and I shall let you know when Ronnie Kasrils will be here as I would love both of you to meet. My very best
wishes to Elaine, Shane and Tess with my warm regards to you, My personal phone is 00963944005559 Bouthaina Shaaban ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ From: Robert Sager [mailto:
bobby@teamsager.org] Sent: Monday, March 28, 2011 11:24 PM To: bouthaina@bouthainashaaban.com; b.shaaban@mopa.gov.sy Subject: Important: Following Up on Our Meeting Importance: High March 25, 2011 Dear Dr. Bouthaina, I have been very moved by the time I
spent with you and with President Assad. I take the many insights from our conversations and combine them with first hand perspective I gained from my time spent at Umayyad mosque, the souk, the coffee shops and even the hammam. I leave Syria with a
profound sense of connection and a desire to share my understanding with influential friends in the United States and around the world. The Syria that I spent last week in does not resemble the sensationalist images that are endlessly played and replayed
by the international media. Of course there are demonstrations and things that need to be changed, but is the relevant story that thousands of people are demonstrating? Or is it that in a country of approximately 21 million people that less than 1 out of
1000 are participating? The scintillating picture for TV is the mob scene, but the informed perspective is the statistic. My first hand understanding, without the distorting filters of the media or the haze of distance, compels me to speak out about what
I have seen and heard and especially how different my experience has been from the images I have seen on TV. I feel privileged to consider you and President Assad as friends. As friends, we all find ourselves in a moment of history that requires people of
real commitment to stand up and speak loudly in support of constructive change and engagement. History teaches that to be ahead of the curve is to lead the change. I am confident that the change will come in as thoughtful and as prompt a manner as the
complex situation allows. What is important now is for committed friends to be vocal in their support of President Assad’s leadership. After all, real friends stand up and speak the truth when it matters most. I will take my first hand understanding into
the world and argue loudly and convincingly that President Assad, far from being the problem, is actually the most critical part of the solution. Syria’s moment of inspiration and quantum leap forward is at hand. Being ahead of the curve is critical. I
stand ready to help in any way, at any time, and in any place. With respect, your friend, Bobby Sager P.S. Dearest Dr. Bouthaina, Please feel free to share this note with President Assad if you feel it is appropriate. If at any time you want to talk to me
directly, my personal mobile is +1 857-544-3671. ---- Msg sent via @Mail - http://atmail.com/