Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad does not rule out armed intervention in the Syrian conflict by Turkey and Saudi Arabia, AFP reported on Friday. Assad stressed that his forces are ready to face such troops on the ground.
Speaking during an exclusive interview with AFP in his office in Damascus, Assad insisted that it is “illogical” to say that his regime will concede any part of Syria. Asked whether his forces are able to retake all of the country, he said, “Whether they are able to or not, this is a goal that we are working to achieve, without any hesitation.”
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The duration and cost of the conflict are being extended, said the Syrian president, by supplies getting through to the “terrorists” via Turkey and Jordan. “The main battle is about cutting the road between Aleppo and Turkey, for Turkey is the main channel of supplies for the terrorists.”
Regarding the Geneva talks, Assad said that talking with the opposition does not mean a halt in “fighting terrorism” and noted the importance of taking parallel tracks in such matters: negotiations and fighting against terrorists. “They are two separate tracks,” he explained.
Assad blamed Europe for the migrant crisis: “Europe gave cover to terrorists in the beginning and imposed sanctions on Syria.” Not all of the migrants are anti-regime, he insisted, but sometimes there are “circumstances which push people to leave the country.”
Criticising reports by international rights groups which accuse his regime of committing war crimes, the Syrian leader claimed that such organisations are basically controlled by Western powers. “Hence, their reports are politicised in a way that helps [Western] policies,” he added.
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