Assad says he will survive Syria's civil war
SYRIAN President Bashar Assad claims he and his government will survive the civil war having endured everything his opponents could do to topple him and only the distant prospect of direct foreign military intervention could change that.
After steady rebel gains in the first two years of civil war, Syria became stuck in a bloody stalemate lasting months until a June government offensive that led to the capture of a strategic border town. Momentum now looks to be behind Assad.
"This was their goal in hitting our infrastructure, hitting our economy, and creating complete chaos in society so that we would become a failed state," Assad said in an interview with Syria's official Thawra newspaper published yesterday.
"So far we have not reached that stage," he said.
The only factor that could undermine the resilience of the government, he said, was direct foreign intervention. But he said that was a unlikely due to foreign powers' conflicting views of an opposition movement increasingly overtaken by radical Islamist militants.
"They have used every material, emotional and psychological means available to them. The only option they have is direct foreign intervention," he said.
"But there is hesitation and rejection (of intervention) from most countries so if we can overcome this stage with resoluteness and awareness, we have nothing more to fear."
Syria's two-year uprising against Assad, whose family has ruled Syria for more than four decades, began as peaceful protests but became militarized after an army crackdown.
The rebels remain strong in the north of Syria, but Assad has been slowly reinforcing his forces there in the hope of retaking territory. Fierce fighting is raging around several cities in central Syria and near the capital.
Assad's counter-offensive led the United States to announce last month military support for the opposition, a move it said would restore the "balance of power" ahead of any peace talks.
The United States and Russia have proposed a "Geneva 2" peace conference but their deadlock over Syria has meant little progress on the diplomatic front.
Despite what the president acknowledged was widespread suffering in his country, Assad said his government and its supporters had proved they could weather the storm.
Assad said the country's ability to avoid "failed state" status was due in large part to Syrian businessmen and workers who continued to do their jobs despite the chaos.
"The Syrian people remain unbroken in every sense of the word. There is an explosion, and within minutes of the clean up, life goes back to normal," Assad said. "They go to work even as they expect terrorist rockets and terrorist explosions and suicide bombings to happen at any moment."
After steady rebel gains in the first two years of civil war, Syria became stuck in a bloody stalemate lasting months until a June government offensive that led to the capture of a strategic border town. Momentum now looks to be behind Assad.
"This was their goal in hitting our infrastructure, hitting our economy, and creating complete chaos in society so that we would become a failed state," Assad said in an interview with Syria's official Thawra newspaper published yesterday.
"So far we have not reached that stage," he said.
The only factor that could undermine the resilience of the government, he said, was direct foreign intervention. But he said that was a unlikely due to foreign powers' conflicting views of an opposition movement increasingly overtaken by radical Islamist militants.
"They have used every material, emotional and psychological means available to them. The only option they have is direct foreign intervention," he said.
"But there is hesitation and rejection (of intervention) from most countries so if we can overcome this stage with resoluteness and awareness, we have nothing more to fear."
Syria's two-year uprising against Assad, whose family has ruled Syria for more than four decades, began as peaceful protests but became militarized after an army crackdown.
The rebels remain strong in the north of Syria, but Assad has been slowly reinforcing his forces there in the hope of retaking territory. Fierce fighting is raging around several cities in central Syria and near the capital.
Assad's counter-offensive led the United States to announce last month military support for the opposition, a move it said would restore the "balance of power" ahead of any peace talks.
The United States and Russia have proposed a "Geneva 2" peace conference but their deadlock over Syria has meant little progress on the diplomatic front.
Despite what the president acknowledged was widespread suffering in his country, Assad said his government and its supporters had proved they could weather the storm.
Assad said the country's ability to avoid "failed state" status was due in large part to Syrian businessmen and workers who continued to do their jobs despite the chaos.
"The Syrian people remain unbroken in every sense of the word. There is an explosion, and within minutes of the clean up, life goes back to normal," Assad said. "They go to work even as they expect terrorist rockets and terrorist explosions and suicide bombings to happen at any moment."
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS
- |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔$粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.