Jeremy Bowen

It does not end a conflict that is more than a century old.

The de facto leader of Syria, Ahmad al-Sharra, chose to do the interview in the presidential palace built by the Assad's. He told me he wasn't surprised that the old regime collapsed so quickly. Syrians, he said, needed to keep calm to tackle all the problems they face. You've made a lot of promises.

The de facto leader of Syria, Ahmad al-Sharra, chose to do the interview in the presidential palace built by the Assad's. He told me he wasn't surprised that the old regime collapsed so quickly. Syrians, he said, needed to keep calm to tackle all the problems they face. You've made a lot of promises.

You've said that you'll respect the mosaic of different sectarian groups here in Syria, minorities as well. Are you going to keep those promises?

You've said that you'll respect the mosaic of different sectarian groups here in Syria, minorities as well. Are you going to keep those promises?

So this isn't going to be some kind of a caliphate or you're not going to make Syria into a country like Afghanistan because you know that there are people who say that maybe you want to behave like the Taliban.

So this isn't going to be some kind of a caliphate or you're not going to make Syria into a country like Afghanistan because you know that there are people who say that maybe you want to behave like the Taliban.

So the culture of Syria includes rights for women, it includes education for women, it includes tolerance for people drinking alcohol. Is that all acceptable to you?

So the culture of Syria includes rights for women, it includes education for women, it includes tolerance for people drinking alcohol. Is that all acceptable to you?

Let's talk about wider issues that you face. First of all, this country is broken. There is massive amount of destruction. The economy is destroyed. There are huge debts. How do you begin to start dealing with all of that when the country is under sanctions and when major powers around the world and the United Nations say that you are the leader of a terrorist group?

Let's talk about wider issues that you face. First of all, this country is broken. There is massive amount of destruction. The economy is destroyed. There are huge debts. How do you begin to start dealing with all of that when the country is under sanctions and when major powers around the world and the United Nations say that you are the leader of a terrorist group?

That's a political classification.

That's a political classification.

I'd say he was very relaxed. He's a very calm man. He had a retinue of five or six people, bodyguards and so on, and media people with him. But yeah, he was prepared to talk. He was prepared to answer my questions. He didn't get offended by anything. He didn't get angry at any point. He came across to me as a highly intelligent and politically sophisticated man.

I'd say he was very relaxed. He's a very calm man. He had a retinue of five or six people, bodyguards and so on, and media people with him. But yeah, he was prepared to talk. He was prepared to answer my questions. He didn't get offended by anything. He didn't get angry at any point. He came across to me as a highly intelligent and politically sophisticated man.

individual and like a lot of politicians around the world in the west notably he's also pretty good at not giving a straight answer to a straight question he was stressing what he felt was the need for sanctions to be lifted what were the key parts of this interview for you Well, I think it was a couple of things.

individual and like a lot of politicians around the world in the west notably he's also pretty good at not giving a straight answer to a straight question he was stressing what he felt was the need for sanctions to be lifted what were the key parts of this interview for you Well, I think it was a couple of things.

First of all, he's trying to reassure all comers, people in Syria, that they're not going to be cracking down on people who aren't religious Sunni Muslims. And I think what was also important about it was the fact he said he called for their designation as a terrorist group to be lifted. He said that Syria needed sanctions to be lifted, too.

First of all, he's trying to reassure all comers, people in Syria, that they're not going to be cracking down on people who aren't religious Sunni Muslims. And I think what was also important about it was the fact he said he called for their designation as a terrorist group to be lifted. He said that Syria needed sanctions to be lifted, too.

And interestingly, too, when I said, look, I think people won't believe you necessarily. He said, I'm only really concerned about what Syrians think. I'm not really concerned about what the rest of the world thinks. And when I also spoke to him about the fact that the Israelis are taking territory, they have had a major bombing campaign against the storehouses of what was the Syrian military.