Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s full 60 Minutes interview in Arabic

Syria’s new leader, 42-year-old Ahmed al-Sharaa, sat down in the presidential palace last month with Margaret Brennan for his first U.S. television interview since taking office. The interview took place on September 16, before al-Sharaa went to New York and spoke at the United Nations. This video is untranslated and shows al-Sharaa’s answers in Arabic. It has been lightly condensed for clarity.

A Note About Translation.

Language translation is more art than science. Different translators will produce varied interpretations of words and their meaning.

For the story that aired on 60 Minutes this past Sunday about Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa, multiple translators were involved in the process. The first or “simultaneous” translation occurred during the interview by a translator employed by President al-Sharaa. A second translator present, hired by 60 Minutes, listened and verified the accuracy of that translation. Later, a third translator hired by 60 Minutes listened to the entire recorded interview and translated the Arabic to English verbatim in what is sometimes called a “fine translation.” In the final editing process for the story, an Arabic-speaking CBS News producer helped us reconcile any differences between the simultaneous and “fine” translations and verify the edits that are necessary for clarity and conciseness.