SYRIAN President Bashar al-Assad has vowed to "live and die" in Syria, saying in an interview he will never flee his country despite the bloody, 19-month-old uprising against him.
The broadcast comes two days after British Prime Minister David Cameron suggested Assad could be allowed safe passage out of the country if that would guarantee an end to the nation's civil war, which activists estimate has killed more than 36,000 people.
Assad struck a defiant tone in the interview with the English-language Russia Today TV, broadcast on Thursday.
"I am not a puppet, I was not made by the West for me to go to the West or any other country," Assad, 47, said. He spoke in English and excerpts of the interview were posted on the TV station's website with an Arabic voiceover.
Assad also warned against foreign military intervention.
"I don't think the West is headed in this direction, but if it does, nobody can predict the consequences," he told the station. The full interview will be broadcast on Friday, the TV station said.
In the excerpts, the Syrian president is seen casually talking and later walking with RT's reporter outside a house, wearing a grey suit and tie. It was not clear where the interview took place.
The uprising against Assad's regime began as mostly peaceful protests in March last year but quickly morphed into a civil war. The fighting has taken on grim sectarian tones, with the predominantly Sunni rebels fighting government forces.
Assad's regime is dominated by Alawites, an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam.
On Wednesday, Britain called on the US to do more to shape the Syrian opposition into a coherent force, saying the re-election of US President Barack Obama is an opportunity for the world to take stronger action to end the deadlocked civil war.
Russia has remained one of Syria's most loyal and powerful allies, shielding Damascus from strong international action at the UN Security Council.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow would not support any resolution that would threaten the Syrian regime with sanctions, in remarks posted on his ministry's website on Thursday.
He criticised the West for supporting the opposition, saying foreign powers should try to force both sides to stop fighting.
"If their priority is, figuratively speaking, Assad's head, the supporters of such approach must realise that the price for that will be lives of the Syrians, not their own lives," Lavrov said. "Bashar Assad isn't going anywhere and will never leave, no matter what they say. He can't be persuaded to take that step."
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
Assad says he won't leave Syria
Dengan url
http://jemuranduit.blogspot.com/2012/11/assad-says-he-wont-leave-syria.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
Assad says he won't leave Syria
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
Assad says he won't leave Syria
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar