Assad vows to fight on, Aleppo to be Erdogan’s graveyard

June 7, 2016 By administrator

President Bashar al-Assad vowed on Tuesday to fight on in what he called Syria’s war against terrorism, showing no sign of compromise in his first major address since peace talks broke down in April.

Assad said he would win back “every inch” of Syria and said Aleppo would be a graveyard for the hopes and dreams of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, a major sponsor of the insurgents battling to topple him.

“Our war against terrorism is continuing,” Assad said in a speech to parliament broadcast by state TV. “As we liberated Tadmur (Palmyra) and before it many areas, we will liberate every inch of Syria from their hands. Our only option is victory, otherwise Syria will not continue.”

The Syrian army and allied militia, aided by Russian air strikes, recovered control of Palmyra from ISIS insurgents in March. In addition to the war with ISIS, Assad is fighting rebels who include groups that have received support from his foreign enemies, Turkey included.

The war has greatly diminished Assad’s control of Syria, with Islamic State, an array of rebel groups, and a powerful Kurdish militia establishing authority over wide parts of the country.

Aleppo, Syria’s largest city and pre-war commercial hub, and the surrounding area at the border with Turkey have comprised a major theatre in the war, divided between areas of government and rebel control. Escalating fighting there helped ruin the cessation of hostilities agreement agreed in February.

Assad accused Erdogan of recently sending thousands of militants to Aleppo. Russia, which has been bombing in support of Assad since September, said on Saturday more than 2,000 militants had mobilized in the Aleppo area.

Russia said on Monday its air forces would provide “the most active” support to Syrian government troops so as not to let Aleppo and the surrounding area fall into the hands of fighters it called terrorists.

The United States and Russia brokered the cessation of hostilities as part of an effort to get UN-backed peace talks moving earlier this year. The talks broke down in April when the main opposition alliance withdrew over what it described as a worsening situation on the ground. Assad said there had been no real talks in Geneva.

He thanked Russia, Iran, China and the Lebanese Shiite Muslim group Hezbollah for the support they had provided.

Alluding to suggestions of divisions in the alliance, particularly between Iran and Russia, Assad said people should not listen to reports about “differences, struggles and divisions.” He said the alliance was stronger than ever.

He was speaking at the parliament that convened this week for the first time since it was elected in April. The election was held in government-controlled parts of Syria.

Assad Meets US Senator in Damascus to Discuss Fight Against Terrorism

April 29, 2016 By administrator

1038786130 Syrian President Bashar Assad discussed in Damascus on Thursday the situation in the Arab country and the fight against terrorism with US Sen. Richard Black, local media reported.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Assad said that terrorist actions all across the globe highlighted the need for real international cooperation not only in the fight against terrorism but also against the Wahhabi ideology behind it, according to the SANA news agency.

Black in turn said that it was necessary to show the US people the real situation in Syria despite disinformation that some parties at the US administration practiced.

The US senator also called for lifting economic sanctions imposed on Syria that violated international law.

Syria has been mired in civil war since 2011, with government forces fighting against several opposition factions and extremist groups. The United States and some of its allies have been supporting the so-called moderate Syrian opposition since the beginning of the conflict, calling on Assad to resign.

Assad says Erdogan’s army fighting in Syria

March 31, 2016 By administrator

The army of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is currently fighting in Syria, but the country is ready to respond to the aggression, Syrian President Bashar Assad said in an exclusive interview with Sputnik.

Turkey, as well as Saudi Arabia, have “crossed all possible red lines, possibly from the first weeks of the Syrian war,” Assad said.

“Today, the war against Erdogan and against Saudi Arabia is a war against terrorists. The Turkish army, which is not even Turkish, is Erdogan’s army that is fighting today in Syria,” he added.

Everything that Ankara and Riyadh “have done from the very beginning can be considered aggression. Aggression in a political sense or in a military sense – providing terrorists with arms – or direct aggression with the use of artillery, and other military violations,” he stressed

Erdogan is directly supporting the terrorists as “he allows them to move into Turkish territory, to carry out maneuvers with tanks,” the Syrian president said.

“This concerns not only individuals, he finances them [terrorists] through Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and through Turkey itself, of course,” he said.

According to Assad, his Turkish counterpart “trades oil that has been stolen by IS (Islamic State, Daesh), at the same time carrying out artillery attacks against the Syrian army – when it moves close – in order to help the terrorists.”

According to the President, countermeasures to Turkey’s aggressive actions must first of all take place within Syrian territory.

Successful strikes against terrorists in the country will lead to the failure of policies pursued by Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, he added.

“They are terrorists and when we attack these terrorists in Syria, this leads to Erdogan’s direct defeat,” Assad said.

However, Assad stressed that there was no dispute between the peoples of Syria and Turkey.

The relations between the two countries will be “good” if Erdogan stops interfering in Syrian affairs, he explained.

During the interview, Assad also expressed readiness to call an early presidential election in Syria if the people desire one.

“This depends on the Syrian people’s stance, on whether there is a popular will to hold early presidential elections. If there is such a will, this is not a problem for me. It is natural to respond to the will of the people and not to that of certain opposition forces,” he said.

“The president cannot work without the people’s support,” the Syrian leader added.

If the election takes place, every Syrian citizen, including those who left because of war, should be able to take part in the voting, he said.

“This issue concerns every Syrian citizen because every citizen votes for the president,” Assad stressed.

Assad also recalled his surprise visit to Moscow last autumn, which came less than two weeks after Russia began its bombing campaign against the terrorists in Syria on September 30, 2015.

“That visit was made under special circumstances,” he said, adding that no documents were signed during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The talks in the Russian capital mainly revolved around two issues: “Firstly, the military operation, which had begun at the time, and as a consequence, the need to strike a blow at terrorism. Secondly, we focused on how we could use the military operation to support the political process,” the Syrian president told Sputnik.

Syria is too small No need for federalization: Assad

March 30, 2016 By administrator

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad talks during an interview with Russia’s RIA Novosti state news agency on March 30, 2016. ©RIA Novosti

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has rejected certain efforts aimed at presenting a federal model for the future political system of the country, saying that Syria is too “small” for adopting such a model.

“From a sociological point of view, there must be components of society that may not be able to live with one another for there to be a federation,” he told Russia’s RIA Novosti state news agency in an interview published on Wednesday, adding, “There is none of this in Syrian history.”

The federal political structure is an option favored by Syrian Kurds who have recently declared a federal region across several provinces under their control as they seek autonomy.

However, those involved in UN-brokered talks in Geneva aimed at ending the crisis in Syria, including Damascus and the UN’s Syria envoy, have dismissed the declaration.

“The majority of Kurds want to live in a united Syria, within the framework of centralized power in political terms, and not in a federal structure,” Assad said.

Assad urges inclusive unity government

Elsewhere in his comments, the Syrian leader stressed that both government and opposition should be included in a Syrian unity government, while rejecting the “transitional body with full executive powers” that the opposition pushes for in a move that entails Assad’s departure.

It would be “logical for there to be independent forces, opposition forces and forces loyal to the government represented there,” he said.

President Assad, meanwhile, stipulated that the meaning of the term “the political transition” is transition from one constitution to another, adding, “Thus, the transition period must be under the current constitution, and we will move on to the new constitution after the Syrian people vote for it.”

The UN-backed talks involving Damascus and the opposition came to a halt earlier in March over Assad’s future. The opposition argues that he must step down before a transitional government is established.

“Neither the Syrian constitution, nor the constitution of any other country in the world includes anything that is called a transitional body of power. It’s illogical and unconstitutional,” Assad said.

Responding to Assad’s remarks, George Sabra, a negotiator for the Saudi-backed High Negotiations Committee (HNC) at Geneva peace talks, repeated the demand for Assad’s ouster.

“Economic issues can be settled immediately, when the situation stabilizes in Syria, but rehabilitating the infrastructure will take a long time,” Assad said.

He added that Damascus expects the process of rebuilding the country to be based on “three main countries that supported Syria during this crisis — Russia, China and Iran.”

Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011.

In recent months, Syrian army, backed by the Russian air power, has been making major gains against Takfiri groups, recapturing several strategic areas from their grip, including the ancient city of Palmyra.

SYRIA Assad: The main battle in Aleppo aims to cut the road with Turkey

February 13, 2016 By administrator

arton122065-480x325 The “main battle” for Aleppo in northern Syria aims to “cut the road” between the province and Turkey, not to take the country’s second city, said Syrian President Bashar Assad .

The importance of this road cut is that it is “the main supply route for terrorists,” he said in an exclusive interview with AFP, his first to a media failure since the month last of the Geneva talks and the launch by its army earlier this month of a major military offensive in the region of Aleppo (north) supported by the bombing of the Russian aviation.

Assad believes there is a risk of a Turkish and Saudi intervention in Syria

Syrian President Bashar Assad said there was a risk of a Turkish and Saudi military intervention in Syria but that his forces would “deal”.

“It’s a possibility that I can not be excluded for the simple reason that (Turkish President Recep Tayyip) Erdogan is someone intolerant of radical, pro-Muslim Brotherhood and lives Ottoman dream (.. .) It is the same for Saudi Arabia. In any case such an action will not be easy for them and we will certainly deal with it, “he said in an exclusive interview with AFP.

Saturday, February 13, 2016,
Stéphane © armenews.com

Pentagon refuses to share intelligence on IS until Moscow’s stance on Assad changes

December 26, 2015 By administrator

Washington will not share intelligence data on Islamic State positions in Syria and will not accept Moscow’s offer to cooperate on rooting out terrorism until Moscow changes its position on Syrian President Bashar Assad’s future, Russia Today reports, citing the Pentagon.
Ever since the start of the Russian campaign in Syria in late September, Moscow has been offering to share information with the US-led coalition against Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL), urging Washington to reciprocate. After months of extensive diplomatic efforts by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defense, and the Kremlin, the Pentagon is still refusing to enter the proposed cooperation.

“We are not going to cooperate with Russia on Syria until they change their strategy of supporting Assad and instead focus on ISIL,” US Defense Department Spokesperson Lt. Col. Michelle Baldanza told Sputnik on Friday.

Moscow has persistently insisted throughout the course of the Syrian conflict that it is only up to the Syrian people to decide who governs them. Russia has repeatedly spoken out against foreign intervention in the domestic affairs of any country, including Syria.
The Kremlin has also made it clear that the government forces of Bashar Assad are the main fighting force against IS on the ground. Since September 30, Russian forces have been helping the Syrian army recapture the territories controlled by IS and other terrorist and jihadi groups.

At the same time, Russia has occasionally been helping the clandestine moderate opposition, such as the Free Syrian Army, when they come forward to request help in their battles against the jihadists, and provides coordinates for airstrikes.

Washington and their Middle Eastern allies do not consider the elected president of Syria to be a legitimate authority and want him gone, claiming only his unconditional departure can ignite a political process in the war-torn country.

However, recently Washington has softened its rhetoric, saying that Assad might play a certain role in the “transitional period” while “how and when he goes” is being decided.
The issue of Assad’s future in the political life of Syria, which has been debated for years, has become acute since the launch of a highly successful Russian air campaign against IS in Syria. The US-led coalition has been accusing Moscow of attacking the “wrong” armed groups in Syria, at the same time refusing to specify which rebel groups they consider to be moderate which should not be targeted.

Last week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a joint press conference with US Secretary of State John Kerry that Moscow’s proposal to coordinate with the United States on airstrikes against
terrorists in Syria had been on the table for two and a half months.

The Russian role in Syria became the focal point of the frequent meetings between Vladimir Putin and US President Barack Obama from September onwards. During that period, Obama spoke several times with Putin on the phone and met him three times on the sidelines of international events, ending the period of “Russia’s isolation” that followed the Crimea affair of 2014.

Syria: Assad makes surprise Christmas visit to Damascus church

December 19, 2015 By administrator

Syrian President Bashar Assad (C-L) and his wife Asma al-Assad (C-R) posing for a picture with a Syrian man as they attend a Christmas choral presentation at the Lady of Damascus Catholic Church in the Syrian capital on December 18, 2015. © HO / AFP

A Christmas choir had a surprise visitor overnight after Bashar Assad made an appearance at a church in the Syrian capital of Damascus where rehearsals were taking place.

The Syrian president and his wife, Asma, visited the Notre Dame de Damas Church, an ancient cathedral located just 2 kilometers from the rebel-held neighborhood of Jobar in the eastern suburb of Ghouta in Damascus.

Assad and his wife chatted with the men and women of the “Joy Choir,” who were practicing ahead of a performance on Christmas Eve, state media said Saturday.

Syria’s Assad blasts Turkey as ‘only lifeline’ of Daesh “ISIS”

December 11, 2015 By administrator

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says Turkey serves as the “only lifeline” for Daesh terrorists, censuring Ankara for its engagement in illegal oil transactions with the Takfiri group.

“…the only lifeline for ISIS (Daesh) is Turkey. Those trucks moving the oil from Syria to Turkey, and Turkey selling this cheap oil to the rest of the world,” said Assad in an interview with the Spanish EFE news agency, which was published on Friday.

The Syrian president blasted Turkey for its repeated denial of oil business with Daesh, saying, “Most of the oil in Syria is in the northern part of Syria. If they want to export it to Iraq, that’s impossible, because every party in Iraq is fighting ISIS. In Syria, it’s the same. In Lebanon, it’s very far. Jordan in the south is very far.”

“I don’t think anyone has any doubt about this indubitable reality,” Assad said, adding that a series of pictures and videos released by Russia last week also confirm the movement of oil tankers from Daesh-controlled areas in Syria toward Turkey.

Russia has on several occasions accused Turkey of buying illegal oil from Daesh. Russian military planes, which are used for an aerial campaign against terrorist groups in Syria, have repeatedly targeted trucks used by Daesh to smuggle oil.

Turkey has rejected oil trade with Daesh, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan saying that he will step down if the accusation is proven to be true.

Assad further lashed out at Turkey, along with Saudi Arabia and Qatar, for providing “direct support” to Daesh, saying such terror groups could have never expanded their terror campaign in Syria if it were not for the backing of the three states.

Commenting on the ongoing multi-national efforts aimed at reaching a political solution to the Syrian crisis, Assad said meetings such as the two recently held in the Austrian capital of Vienna would only be successful if terrorists are distinguished from the real opposition in Syria.

Two conferences were held on the Syria crisis in October and November in Vienna. The UN has said a third round is likely to be held in New York on December 18.

However, the parties to the talks remain at loggerheads over a number of issues, including the lists of the Syrian opposition and the groups that should be designated as terrorists.

The crisis in Syria, which began in March 2011, has so far claimed the lives of over 250,000 people and displaced nearly half of the country’s population within or beyond its borders.

War to remove Syria’s Assad ‘illegal’: Keep Assad fight ISIS Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard

November 21, 2015 By administrator

A Democratic congresswoman calls on the United States to stop the “illegal, counterproductive war” to overthrow the Syrian government and focus instead on defeating the Daesh (ISIL) terrorist group.

Appearing on CNN on Friday, Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii said the campaign to remove Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is “illegal because Congress has not declared war. It has not authorized a war to overthrow the Syrian government of Assad.”

“I don’t think Assad should be removed,” she said, arguing that if the Syrian government is toppled, extremist groups like ISIL and al-Qaeda will take over Syria. “They will be even stronger.”

“It is counterproductive because it works to help our enemy achieve their objective to take over the Syrian government and take over all of Syria and beyond, and presents a greater humanitarian crisis and huge threat not only to the region but to the world,” Gabbard explained.

The United States has been backing what it calls moderate militants fighting against the Assad government. Senior US officials, including President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry, have repeatedly called for Assad’s removal.

Gabbard, an Iraq-war veteran, said the US seems to be repeating “the same mistakes of the past.”

“People said the very same thing about Saddam (Hussein), the very same thing about (Muammar) Gaddafi, the results of those two failed efforts of regime change and the following nation-building have been absolute, not only have they been failures, but they’ve actually worked to strengthen our enemy,” she stated.

“Look at the state of these countries today,” Gabbard added. “They have been overrun and are filled with chaos. And ISIS and extremist groups have only grown stronger in these countries and terrorizing the people there.”

Gabbard co-sponsored legislation on Thursday to block the US from waging a war to remove President Assad from power.

US State Department spokesman John Kirby said Thursday that Assad’s fate will be decided in international talks in the coming weeks.

“What I can tell you is that in the multilateral sessions, which will continue to occur going forward, the role of Assad in this transition will be spelled out,” Kirby told reporters.

Turkey is Playing the Worst Part of Syrian Crisis – Assad

November 19, 2015 By administrator

Syrian President Bashar Assad believes that by being passively supporting the al-Nusra Front and Islamic State terrorist groups, Turkey is playing a most destructive role in the Syrian crisis.

“Turkey is playing a most negative role in our crisis. That’s related directly to [President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan himself and [Prime Minister Ahmet] Davutoglu, because they both reflect the real ideology that they carry in their hearts, which is the Muslim Brotherhood ideology,” Assad said in an interview with the French newsmagazine Valeurs Actuelles on Thursday.

The Syrian leader emphasized that, compared to Saudi Arabia and Qatar, Ankara was playing the most dangerous role in general, by giving all possible assistance to the terrorists.

“Some countries support the Nusra Front, which is al-Qaeda, some other countries support ISIL, while Turkey supports both and other groups at the same time. They support them with, human resources. They support them with money, logistics, armaments, surveillance, information, and even the maneuvers of their military through their borders during the fights in Syria.”

“Even the money that’s being collected from the rest of the world passes through Turkey, and the oil that ISIL sells is through Turkey, so Turkey is playing the worst part of our crisis,” Assad was quoted as saying by the Syrian news agency SANA.

Source: sputniknews