Assad Rejects Exile, Warns of Foreign Intervention's 'Domino Effect'
Syrian President Bashar Assad on Thursday rejected calls that he seek a safe exit, vowing he would "live and die in Syria,” in an interview with Russian Arabic-language channel Rusiya Al-Yaum.
"I am not a puppet.... I am Syrian and I must live and die in Syria," Assad, who is facing a nearly 20-month revolt against his rule, told the channel according to transcripts published on its website.
British Prime Minister David Cameron this week floated the idea of granting Assad safe passage from the country, saying it "could be arranged" though he wanted the Syrian leader to face international justice.
Assad also warned against a foreign intervention to deal with Syria's escalating conflict, saying such a move would have "global consequences" and shake regional stability.
He said Syria was the "last bastion of secularism, stability and co-existence in the region" and that an intervention would have a "domino effect" that would affect "the world from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific."
"The price of a foreign invasion of Syria, if it were to take place, would be higher than the world can afford to pay," he said.
"I don't think the West is going in this direction, but if it does, nobody can predict what would happen."
Many in Syria's opposition, including armed rebels waging fierce battles with pro-regime forces, have urged the international community to intervene to stop escalating bloodshed in the country that rights groups say has left more than 37,000 people dead.
over 11 years
I agree with Mustapha. I don't know if it will be 2 more years, more, or less, but the Obama administration certainly won't deep it's hands in this mess. Obama is more preoccupied by the us. Romney would have been another story...
over 11 years
according to you and your master nothing is going on in Syria and ASSad is still as strong as ever...
over 11 years
mowaten is funny :)
Obama would never back down on syria, and the reason f the delay is nt to have the US involvement in syria affect the elections. now he has a free hand to go ahead with changing this regime :)
mowaten has wishfull thinking :)
s the US according to him will let russia and iran control the middle east? funny suggestion mowaten.
over 11 years
deranged mowaten
I did not predict there will be war, what I said (and you can check it) was that that period was extremely dangerous and there could be war.
anyway, read the international news: even those against a war against iran are for a war on hizbushaitan, and they are voicing it loud and clear.
over 11 years
teta it's not your choice who gets to rule, the Syrians must be free to choose whomever they want
over 11 years
"I must live and die in Syria" reminds me of Gaddafi
over 11 years
Right...except Paul Revere was not an Arab leader facing the Arab Spring in the 21st century..how's that for perspective?
over 11 years
that is what I call the masses rising against tyrannical regimes but of course you will only listen to what nasrallaat tells you and that is that nothing is going on in Syria...do you remember that retarded comment when he said he "contacted" his people in Homs and they told him nothing was going on...
over 11 years
how was saddam ousted? I don't see you criticizing that...the point is the majority of Libyans just like the majority of Syrians want to be free...you as well as anyone else know how dictators rule. NONE of my Libyan friends regret Qaddafi being ousted just like NO one will shed a tear when ASSad is gone.
over 11 years
Faris Motormouth and Assesitance...like a broken record ALWAYS defending/justifying the actions of cold-blooded murderers. Bunch of regressed (conditioned) herders!
over 11 years
Let's put it this way.....he lived like a king all these years off the blood and sweat of the Syrian people. Now it's time to die by their hands!
over 11 years
No matter what you say there Farsi Motormouth....almost ALL your posts defends the murderers. Get a life....and preferably in your beloved Iran!
over 11 years
Hizbustan also officialy congratulated the libyan people hypocrite, doesnt the manar lovvvvve maliki?? Who brought maliki to power and killed saddam hypocrite?? Cu deenkun itnu???
over 11 years
blablabla......? Must be Farsi for "I'm an uneducated conditioned sheep"....lol!
over 11 years
reminds me more of aoun who said that he was gna die in baabda palace but instead fled with millions in cash without his family and left his officers to be killed...
over 11 years
so do you regret saddam being gone? do you believe that most of his people were against him?
over 11 years
Holy hypocracy batman! Foreign interventions are a nono huh?.....double standards letting HA come in, but that's an exception huh? Tell me HA, do you enjoy anyone not of your little inner circle getting shot by snipers, bombed on, and worse? I'm sure the thousands of dead women and children would want to ask you guys that.
over 11 years
sounds like the "zanga zanga!! beit beit!!" speech.
over 11 years
He got used to the idea that syria is his...thanx paaaa! :)
over 11 years
he is thinking and acting in the " what would my father do?" theory... iam guessing its not working, and AL Assad regime will be falling very soon
over 11 years
I am looking forward to the day he dies in Syria. Hopefully next week. The FSA dropped mortars around the palace. Bashar and his mother had no lights on all night.
over 11 years
Until the day he is under ground 200 meters, i pray to celebrate
over 11 years
Do you accept Visa or Mastercard?
over 11 years
The retard ASSad does not know what is happening. The Patriot systems will be deployed and create a 30 km buffer (no fly) zone without invasion. The FSA will then be able to advance to Hama and beyond. This is all they need. He is the only domino that will fall.
"I am not a puppet.... LOL.....he did what the Hezz and Ayatollah said and it did not work. This will go down as an official battlefield loss for Iran and especially the Hezz. I love it.
over 11 years
Ce Barbare tombera! tôt ou tard il va direct à la poubelle de l'histoire!
Parmi le peuple syrien il y a des salafistes, il a des mercenaires, il y a de tout, mais la majorité du peuple syrien ne demande que Liberté et justice et ils l'auront! Que tu le veuilles ou non!!! Que certains ici sur le site le veuillent ou non!
over 11 years
The israel taba3ak supports bashar otherwise he would have been bombed 2 years ago
over 11 years
Najibala of afghanistan lasted 10 years before he was hanged by the rebels, there too the russians and the iranians were with the dictator and the rebels poorly equipped, that the regime is doomed is a mathematical certainty and likewise that the revolution is incrementaly biting more territory versus time. Just compare summer 2011 with 2012 and imagine where things would be summer 2013
over 11 years
typical speech from a dictator: if you refer to history they all say the same thing, clinging to the power but eventually they all fall and sometimes in a very tragic way...and all those who support them suddenly flipflop to save their a... why would it be different here as the atrocities he commited only gave way to a point of no return.
over 11 years
The noose is tightening.Ouch... LOL ...
over 11 years
The effects of the Syrian Revolution are irreversible. Assad will posture but he knows that his options are limited. By the way, his wife might not want to die in Syria.
bashar, nobody will intervene..renewal for obama is equal to prolonging the syrian war for two more years.. till the "pourrissement complet" of syria and complete destruction.