Assad Says Foreigners Plotting to Destroy Syria
President Bashar Assad said Sunday that his government faces a foreign plot to destroy Syria, and blamed "monsters" for the Houla massacre, in a rare televised speech delivered in parliament.
Assad's accusations came as Arab leaders called on the United Nations to act to stop bloodshed in Syria and France raised the prospect of military action against Damascus under a U.N. mandate.
"The masks have fallen and the international role in the Syrian events is now obvious," Assad said in his first address to the assembly since a May 7 parliamentary election, adding the polls were the perfect response "to the criminal killers and those who finance them".
The embattled leader, who was greeted with warm applause from lawmakers, said atrocities like the May 25-26 massacre of at least 108 people near the town of Houla, in central Syria, were committed by "monsters".
"What happened in Houla and elsewhere (in Syria) are brutal massacres which even monsters would not have carried out," he said.
Assad, dressed in a smart suit and tie, also paid tribute to civilian and military "martyrs" of the violence in Syria, saying their blood was not shed in vain.
"We are not facing a political problem but a project to destroy the country," Assad said, adding there will be "no dialogue" with opposition groups which "seek foreign intervention."
"Syria is open to all Syrians regardless of their views, but terrorism cannot be part of the political process and we must fight against terrorism to heal the nation," Assad said, dismissing the impact in Syria of uprisings sweeping the Arab world.
On Saturday, violence in Syria killed 89 people, including 57 soldiers, the largest number of casualties the military has suffered in a single day since an uprising began in March 2011, a watchdog said.
The casualties also included 29 civilians and three army defectors killed in various parts of the country in shelling by regime forces or in clashes or gunfire, said the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
As Arab leaders called for U.N. action in Syria, France, which spearheaded an air assault against Moammar Gadhafi's forces last year, said it has not excluded military intervention in the country.
France "has not excluded military intervention" in Syria, but only under a United Nations mandate, Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Sunday.
almost 12 years
He is not delusional. Kazafi was delusional ... Assad is not. He is just lying to his teeth.
almost 12 years
"Assad Says Foreigners Plotting to Destroy Syria" we know it, but only ignorants still ignoring it & some enemies who r not ignorants.
almost 12 years
He is living in denial, still trying to hang on power. The problem is that his portrayal of facts is so far off from other reports, that he doesn't stand a chance. He should get out while he has a chance at staying alive.
almost 12 years
put some make up on ur face
almost 12 years
This guy is catering for who?? He killed Hariri and said he was a good friend of Syria ! He armed and sent the Shabiha on a killing spree and now says they are monsters. He sponsored most booby- trapped cars in Irak along with Iran, and then said he cannot control his frontiers.But he can control that of Lebanon! His local pupets play also this brain-split game: Left brain does something , right brain says the oppoiste. This is called 'schizophrenic acting' ...
almost 12 years
I thought the Houla deaths were a collective sect-style suicide!
almost 12 years
I honestly do not care what he does! all I care that the killing stops because it is beginning to effect Lebanon.
almost 12 years
"What arrogance? We are the ones who interfere in other countries and plot to destroy them. Look what how successful we have been in Lebanon, Iraq, Gaza,... How could they plot to destroy Syria?" Omitted part of Assad's speech.
almost 12 years
a thug in suit is no different than a thug in a turban,just can't wait for this killer demise!
almost 12 years
Simply put, If you are the head of the state and can't control the situation for 15months then depart immediately. Staying in power = more killing of own people from ALL sides = You are responsible for ALL killings because once you assumed the role of the head of the state.
almost 12 years
Poor little Assad speaking with a sheepish voice ,blaming everyone but his killing machine,does anybody believe a word this thug is saying? unfortunately some stupid ,naive and conspirators from only Lebanon and syria still support this little gutless dictator.The big Q is ,how long will this regime survive?
almost 12 years
That's about how I feel about it FT.
Slash, your attack och FT is uncalled for. Just my honest opinion.
almost 12 years
Thanks. You learn how to live with it and move on. Nothing compared to the guys at the ma3had in Beit Chabab,
almost 12 years
burn syria burn
almost 12 years
mr assad s entourage ar not keeping him updated.
who s going to destroy syria? syria is in taters pal. nothing left to destroy.time to go
almost 12 years
Bashar Assad = bulimia nervosa.
almost 12 years
FT i have to agree with you it is Karma just as Syria involved itself in lebanon and destoryed it,and as for you saying your not happy thats fine but trust me when i tell you im in HEAVEN and the more misery that country has day by day s a blessing and may they endure many more years to come.Long Live The Syrian Civil War!
almost 12 years
Mansour. The Syrians:
1. Bombed our communities to oblivion
2. Killed my friends
3. Wounded me and gave me a handicap for life
4. Terrorized my young siblings who were cowering in a dark basement for days and days and days with their réjmét.
And yet I don't wish civil war on the Syrians. I just want to see the Baath fall with the least possible bloodshed.
Why? Because I'm a Christian. I was taught not to hate.
almost 12 years
fadson: That's essentially what I am trying to say.
almost 12 years
I think anyone who understood Syrian hegemony over Lebanon and how it regressed Lebanese prosperity would want the current regime to stand down.
I want Assad to stand down, and be replaced with a democratic, able populist Syrian-led government. But I don't support the military option, for this will make things worst for both the Syrian and the Lebanese people. The revolution in Syria has been hijacked by religious fundamentalists, and I feel bad for the moderate Syrian opposition that only seek a peaceful transition.
And by the way, Islamic philosophies, and almost all philosophies, are taught not to hate.
almost 12 years
Everything Syria is going through now is justice. Let the bastards feel the pain they put us through. Assad and his Syrian army, may they burn Syria 1000+ times over. I do disagree though with massacres! They deserve a military conflict, murdering woman and children is cowardliness, but we know already, as we experienced their tactics in Lebanon.
almost 12 years
Yet you still hate ! And you still follow a murderer that dosnt matter how many times he wash's his hands he can not wash off the blood of his victim's ,and you follow him and call yourself a christian? please my friend get your priority's in order. i am a christian and jesus is my lord.
almost 12 years
Mansour
hatred brings more hatred. this is not our way. they have problems, let them deal with it.
almost 12 years
geha
hate is not a word that describes my feelings towards the Syrians i just want them wiped out if that helps you in my understanding.Long Live The Syrian Civil War.!
almost 12 years
NO im pretty sure im in Heaven sitting back eating POPCORN watching you all get fried in Syria.Long Live The Syrian Civil War!
almost 12 years
All the demonstrations of hundred of thousands asking you to depart is a terrorist act? Killing women and children is honorable ?What is he talking about? the guy is delusional .Does he know that each person killed has a family behind him ? Lets say a family of 5. He kills one 4 are going to fight him . How many did he kill so far ? lets say 50 thousand? so he created 250,000.00 more ennemies who will revenge for their siblings. can he do his math? soon the number of gunmen will triple and quadruple. they will soon outnumber his army . He lost his battle for sure. Its a matter of time . the russians and chinese and israel will not be able to save his life. I do not know how long he is going to last but his end is near. oh . I forgot to mention iran .wa la zalem illa wa sa youbla be azlamou. When he is gone Lebanon will be free from his evil eyes.
almost 12 years
Enno tony come oooooon 3a zalamé. When you disagree sharply with FT you crap on him. Fine. But do you have to spew venom on him when you actually agree with him? Aren't you happy that we are starting to find common ground? Isn't it the whole idea that we lebanese try to get along, at least a little bit?
Come on dude. Nobody's gonna take care of us if we don't try to take care of each other, and that involves a little humility and compromise.
Now watch the thumbs-down rain on me. I better get an umbrella.
almost 12 years
Yeah that's right Bashar boy the monsters, goblins, ghouls and martians did it, but the Syrians know call them ghosts.
almost 12 years
President Obama ordered the CIA to make sure that the Syrian regime is gone by the end of 2012 from the fear of Al Qaeda taking a foothold in Syria (http://www.annahar.com/article.php?t=main&p=1&d=24745). 2 months ago, an AK47 on Lebanese black market was priced at $1400 (usual price is around $300). Today, the price is $700 and dropping, that means that the supply of arms is meeting the demand for the prices to drop. Of all the tasks Pres. Obama can throw on the CIA, overthrowing Assad is an easy one. All it takes is to copycat what Clinton did to get arms to the Muslims in Bosnia (through Iran ironically), and the 16 million fighting the 1 million is Syria will for sure prevail.
almost 12 years
There's no doubt it is being exploited and manipulated by foreign forces, but it also doesn't give the regime any legitimacy to continue governing. It has killed far too many people even before the uprising began. I don't want those fundamentalists to replace it, but they only represent a minority of the Syrian people.
almost 12 years
I twaut I taw a putty tat... I did! I did taw a putty tat!
almost 12 years
"Your comment will be displayed after administrator approves it"
will it? will it? we shall see!
almost 12 years
Tony
we judge on each comment.
almost 12 years
And now comes the denial of reality. The transference of abhorent behavior and attribution to one's adversaries. The UN inspectors, countless interviews of survivors of Houla have said it was Regime forces that shelled the town and shahiba, Alawi regime goons who came in afterwards to execute women and children, and then slit their throats and leave their mutilated bodies to be found and that this was a deliberate act of terror meant to restore the terror by which the Regime has maintained control.
No matter how smart the suit - The "monster" is still wearing it.
And the "foreigners" who are destroying Syria are from Great Britan. He used to be an eye doctor there, but came to Syria and started killing people.
almost 12 years
I am from the South in the US. It was known as a racist part of the US. The homicide laws were defined like this:
A Black kills a White is what is known as murder 1st Degree
A While kills a Black is what is known as homicide
A Black kills another Black is what is known as just another dead Black.
This was 60 years ago in the racist south. We have gotten progressively better so as to value all life.
But for the "international community" racism seems to rule by the same rules we discarded 3 generations ago.
An Arab kills a Westerner is an act of terrorism requiring full retaliatory response.
A Westerner kills an Arab is "collateral damage"
An Arab kills an Arab is called the sport of let's let them kill each other off.
Assad is slaughtering fellow Arabs? The world shrugs and says so what? If he were to be doing this to Europeans, or Israelis, well now that's murder in the first degree.
almost 12 years
FT the Iranian pretending to be lebanese.
almost 12 years
nothing new in this kind of speech. All dictators have the same! it s the fault of a huge conspiracy that everything is going bad in the country, not the fault of the ruling gvt!
and it is so funny to see some FPMers here saying that it is justice what is happpening in syria after denying it for months!
i told it months before that aoun will change sides when the syrian regime falls and will say that he did everything to make it so! seems his followers are anticipating that moment! lol
almost 12 years
Jabal,you have to agree with Slash and Tony.
how Can you trust an Iranian IE FT .
How can you trust FMP?
Yes i dislike Hassoun,i consider him a threat to lebanon,but you have to respect the guy ,he always had the same agenda with clear purpose that never changed.
On the other hand ,you got Aoun and his followers FT for example bighayro miyoulon mitle ma bighayro el pantalon .
FT i suggest you switch your name to Chameleon.
almost 12 years
Lebanese can never agree on anything except hate and wishing civil war upon others.
almost 12 years
And you're full of love and understanding. Right, mamluk?
almost 12 years
Assad won't be removed, why was Kim Jong Won (nth Koreas dictator, however its spelt) and his regime still in power?
The united nations and it's actions is not a democracy. It is whoever has the biggest guns who will win and Russia and China have big guns and they will keep supporting Assad.
Assad is doing the right thing by allowing voting to take place, let the Syrians decide under international moniters who they want in the ballot voting booths not by demanding bloodshed and overthrow into anarchy...
It is logical for peace just to vote for it and not fight... Why do u all support overthrows when the option for a vote under international moniters and aspiece is there????!!
Even the UN has recognised the Muslim brotherhood wants to take control of the uprising, and asks both sides to stop, so if both sides stop then they can vote!!!
almost 12 years
kim jong il has nukes, bashar doesn't.
almost 12 years
I agree, I don't believe in the military option, but unfortunately Assad has become a way too negative figure among a significant number of Syrians that it undermines the legitimacy of elections if he is still part of politics.
I wouldn't mind if his party ran for elections, but I think, for the sake of his party and the Syrians, he should step down so as to give an image that a new era in Syrian politics is coming.
almost 12 years
TRUTH(Guest) Israel killed Harari. What Assad said is true. Unfortunately for him he received a death sentence from his father for the crimwe of being born.Just 3 years ago the West loved the Oxford University educated eye doctor, but the Arab Spring afforded the United Staes the opportunity to reload the NeoCon "Project for a New American Century". Word Up and Enlighten YOURSELF.They call themselves "The American Enterprise Institute" now. William Kristo;, lead editor of the Wall Street Journal is the titulor head. Ooops...., they are here, my turn now. Bye,Bye.
almost 12 years
this is the most ridiculous thing I've ever read. They loved him because they believed he could reform and they still loved him after the arab spring and kept holding on to the hope he would allow reform.....but he didn't, and in the end they had to turn against him in face of all the atrocities the regime is committing.
almost 12 years
All politicians are liars, that's just the nature of politics, especially in today's Arab world where the people are miseducated and thus easily manipulated.
almost 12 years
Both the Syrian regime and the Salafite opposition have committed war crimes. The pro-Syrian stations like NBN and Dunya TV show one sided accusations and propaganda...and the Anti-Syrian sites like Al Jazeera, Arabiya, and NAHARNET (and all pro-Israel western media) show one sided accusations and propaganda. Both sides have shown bogus videos including videos that did not even occur in Syria (like Chechnya). The M8 crowd only denounce the Syrian opposition and the m14 only denounce the Syrian Regime.
almost 12 years
Your father's regime and yours have plotted for 40 years to destroy Lebanon and you did. What goes around comes around, it is poetic justice.
almost 12 years
I second that. Nostradamus has finally said something right.
almost 12 years
Its the same people who plotted to destroy lebanon and your father helped...... I feel a bit happy but honestly very sad when I remember all the friends I lost when I was 14 yrs old by palestinians and syrians.
I pitty all innocent people who are daily dying.
almost 12 years
What the Syrian regime did in Lebanon is no comparison to what the Lebanese Fascists did in massacring Palestinians, Syrians, and mostly...Lebanese. This is like Hitler complaining to what the allies did in Dresden....Stupid Fascists!
almost 12 years
I have read an article by Marit Musin http://syria360.wordpress.com/2012/06/01/detailed-investigation-of-the-houla-massacre/
which claims to be a detailed completed investigation into the Houla Massacre of May 25-26, 2012. The case is made therein that the FSA is the author of the massacre led by Abdul Razak Tlass.
Here is the problem with this report:
1) it comes far too soon after the event to be comprehensive.
2) it is from a pro-regime website.
This is Assad's problem. His regime has engaged the tactics of misinformation, disinformation, photo shopping of pictures and documents, and other measures to manipulation of the truth to fit the needs of the regime, that even if this report were true, who could know?
(con't)
almost 12 years
Assad is like Chicken Little who screamed every other day, falsely, that the sky was falling in order to bring aid and assistance. When the sky really was falling, no one listened to Chicken Little because he had lied so much that no one believed him. This is Assad's predicament now as he seeks assistance. Who is there left who will believe him?
The idea that the US is conspiring to undo Assad's Regime is an odd one. The Obama Administration is avoiding action. Pro-Israeli advisors such as Aaron Miller are against it. And in today's Washington Post, the author of the "Kissinger Plan" the great mother of all conspirators wrote decidedly against taking military action against Assad's Regime. http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/syrian-intervention-risks-upsetting-global-order/2012/06/01/gJQA9fGr7U_story.html
So where's the conspiracy Chicken Little?? And how did your regime do such a thorough job of investigating Houla if it is in the hands of child killing terrorists?
almost 12 years
There is no comparison to what the Syrian regime did in Lebanon to what the Lebanese Fascists did in Lebanon in massacring innocent Palestinian Refugees, Syrian Nationals (workers) and especially Lebanese civilians.
almost 12 years
There is no comparison for what the Syrian regime did in Lebanon and what the Lebanese Fascists did in massacring innocent Palestinian refugees, Syrian Nationals (workers), and especially Lebanese.
He is delusional. He's also lost a lot of weight from the stress....Obviously, he is out of his mind in blaming 'outside forces' and 'terrorists' for the Slaugter in Syria. Hang him and his entire family and let's move on....