Assad blasts US, UK for aiding rebels
Source: Agencies |
March 4, 2013, Monday
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SYRIA'S president harshly criticized US and British aid to rebels and set harsh terms for talking to his opponents in a newspaper interview published yesterday, as fighting raged across the country.
President Bashar Assad took a tough line against his opponents in the interview with London's Sunday Times, dialing back earlier hints of flexibility about talks.
He said he is ready for dialogue with armed rebels and militants, but only if they surrender their weapons. Recently his foreign minister offered such talks but did not say anything about laying down arms.
"We are ready to negotiate with anyone, including militants who surrender their arms. We are not going to deal with terrorists who are determined to carry weapons, to terrorize people, to kill civilians, to attack public places or private enterprise and to destroy the country," Assad said. "We fight terrorism."
Most opposition groups have rejected talks with Assad's government, with some demanding that he resign before talks can begin.
Assad said that he would not step down or go into exile. "No patriotic person will think about living outside his country. I am like any other patriotic Syrian," he said.
The interview was conducted in Damascus last week and was published yesterday, coinciding with US Secretary of State John Kerry's first foreign tour. Kerry met with Syrian rebels in Italy on Thursday. He has unveiled a US$60 million package of non-lethal US aid to the rebels.
Assad said the "intelligence, communication and financial assistance being provided is very lethal."
Assad also blasted Britain. He said Prime Minister David Cameron's "naive, confused, unrealistic" government was trying to end a European Union arms embargo so the rebels can be supplied with weapons.
President Bashar Assad took a tough line against his opponents in the interview with London's Sunday Times, dialing back earlier hints of flexibility about talks.
He said he is ready for dialogue with armed rebels and militants, but only if they surrender their weapons. Recently his foreign minister offered such talks but did not say anything about laying down arms.
"We are ready to negotiate with anyone, including militants who surrender their arms. We are not going to deal with terrorists who are determined to carry weapons, to terrorize people, to kill civilians, to attack public places or private enterprise and to destroy the country," Assad said. "We fight terrorism."
Most opposition groups have rejected talks with Assad's government, with some demanding that he resign before talks can begin.
Assad said that he would not step down or go into exile. "No patriotic person will think about living outside his country. I am like any other patriotic Syrian," he said.
The interview was conducted in Damascus last week and was published yesterday, coinciding with US Secretary of State John Kerry's first foreign tour. Kerry met with Syrian rebels in Italy on Thursday. He has unveiled a US$60 million package of non-lethal US aid to the rebels.
Assad said the "intelligence, communication and financial assistance being provided is very lethal."
Assad also blasted Britain. He said Prime Minister David Cameron's "naive, confused, unrealistic" government was trying to end a European Union arms embargo so the rebels can be supplied with weapons.
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