Syrian General: I will go to the Games

A SYRIAN general close to the Assad regime has declared he is determined to attend the Olympics.

General Mofwaq Joumaa defended President Assad and insisted his country, which he said was ‘peaceful’, should be allowed to compete in the London Games.

Joumaa is president of Syria’s Olympic committee and was due to lead a 31-strong delegation to the opening ceremony.

Although Foreign Office officials are not aware of any evidence linking him directly to human rights abuses, it is unlikely he will be allowed into Britain. Troops loyal to Assad have killed some 9,000 people since the start of the insurgency 15 months ago.

Foreign Office Minister Jeremy Browne said: ‘Entry will be refused where an individual’s presence at the Games or in the UK would not be conducive to the public good.’

Officials are examining Syria’s lists of athletes who require visas for the UK to determine if any have close links with the Assad regime.

It places Britain in an awkward position – barring athletes for the abuses of a political regime would undoubtedly upset the International Olympic Committee. At the same time, welcoming anyone tainted by the violence would be politically embarrassing.

‘We are a peaceful country,’ General Joumaa told The Times. ‘The Syrian people have love in their hearts for the British people.’

He said he would complain to the IOC if he was denied entry. ‘If anyone was blocked because of their military background, that would be unfair,’ he said. ‘Anyone who has a military background in Syria, they are an ordinary citizen of this country.’

An IOC spokesman said: ‘Ultimately it is for the UK authorities and/or the EU to decide who is or is not allowed into the UK. We would respect any such decision.’

Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will be excluded on similar grounds.

But other controversial figures seem likely to attend, including Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad al-Khalifa, son of the King of Bahrain. He has been accused by human rights activists of kicking a protester for over two hours and forcing him to lick his boots, claims he denies.