Assad warns West: Intervention will burn region
Source: Agencies |
October 31, 2011, Monday
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WESTERN military intervention in Syria will lead to an "earthquake" that "would burn the whole region," Syrian President Bashar Assad warned in remarks published yesterday, following growing calls from protesters for a no-fly zone over the country.
In an interview with Britain's Sunday Telegraph, Assad also said that outside intervention against his government will cause "another Afghanistan." The comments appeared to reflect the Syrian government's increasing concern about foreign intervention in the country's crisis after the recent death of Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, who was toppled by a popular uprising backed by NATO airstrikes.
Syrian opposition leaders have not called for an armed uprising like the one in Libya and have for the most part opposed foreign intervention. In addition, the United States and its allies have shown little appetite for intervening in another Arab nation in turmoil.
But with the 7-month-old revolt against Assad stalemated, some Syrian protesters have begun calling for a no-fly zone over the country because of fears the government might use its air force now that army defectors are becoming more active in fighting the security forces.
The unrest in Syria could send unsettling ripples through the region, as Damascus' web of alliances extends to Lebanon's powerful Hezbollah movement, the militant Palestinian Hamas and Iran's Shiite theocracy.
"Syria is the hub now in this region. It is the fault line, and if you play with the ground you will cause an earthquake," Assad said. "Do you want to see another Afghanistan, or tens of Afghanistans?"
"Any problem in Syria will burn the whole region," he added.
The uprising against Assad began during a wave of anti-government protests in the Arab world that toppled autocrats in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. The United Nations says that Assad's crackdown has left more than 3,000 people dead since the uprising began in mid-March.
Assad said that Western countries "are going to ratchet up the pressure, definitely." He was apparently referring to a wave of sanctions that were imposed by the European Union and the US. "But Syria is different in every respect from Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen. The history is different. The politics is different," Assad said.
In an interview with Britain's Sunday Telegraph, Assad also said that outside intervention against his government will cause "another Afghanistan." The comments appeared to reflect the Syrian government's increasing concern about foreign intervention in the country's crisis after the recent death of Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, who was toppled by a popular uprising backed by NATO airstrikes.
Syrian opposition leaders have not called for an armed uprising like the one in Libya and have for the most part opposed foreign intervention. In addition, the United States and its allies have shown little appetite for intervening in another Arab nation in turmoil.
But with the 7-month-old revolt against Assad stalemated, some Syrian protesters have begun calling for a no-fly zone over the country because of fears the government might use its air force now that army defectors are becoming more active in fighting the security forces.
The unrest in Syria could send unsettling ripples through the region, as Damascus' web of alliances extends to Lebanon's powerful Hezbollah movement, the militant Palestinian Hamas and Iran's Shiite theocracy.
"Syria is the hub now in this region. It is the fault line, and if you play with the ground you will cause an earthquake," Assad said. "Do you want to see another Afghanistan, or tens of Afghanistans?"
"Any problem in Syria will burn the whole region," he added.
The uprising against Assad began during a wave of anti-government protests in the Arab world that toppled autocrats in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. The United Nations says that Assad's crackdown has left more than 3,000 people dead since the uprising began in mid-March.
Assad said that Western countries "are going to ratchet up the pressure, definitely." He was apparently referring to a wave of sanctions that were imposed by the European Union and the US. "But Syria is different in every respect from Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen. The history is different. The politics is different," Assad said.
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