Syria’s Assad blames West for ‘supporting terrorists’

Syria’s Assad blames West for ‘supporting terrorists’

PanARMENIAN.Net - Syria's President Bashar al-Assad urged Syrian political and armed factions to unite in the fight against terrorist groups and said in comments aired Tuesday, September 15 that there can be no political solution for the country's brutal civil war before terrorism is defeated, the Associated Press reports.

Speaking in an interview with Russian media, he also blamed Europe for the refugee crisis currently hitting the continent, saying it is a direct result of the West's support of extremists in Syria over the past four years.

In the interview Assad did not directly address the Russian moves, only praising Moscow as an "independent state" and an "impartial" broker of dialogue between Syrian groups.

He urged the formation of a united front against the Islamic State group, saying the priority of every single Syrian citizen is to be secure.

"We, the political parties, the government and the armed groups that fought against the government, we must all unite in the name of combating terrorism," Assad said.

He said dialogue can continue, but added that nothing can be implemented unless terrorism is defeated first.

"Europe is to blame in its principles because it supports terrorism and continues to do so, it provides protection for terrorists, calling them moderates, divides them into groups, when they are in fact the terrorist groups in Syria," he said. Addressing Europeans, Assad added: "Stop, if you are worried about them (refugees), stop supporting terrorists."

The Syrian government considers all armed groups fighting to topple Assad to be terrorists.Assad also said he would only quit power if the Syrian people wanted him to and not under pressure from the West, Reuters reports.

"As for the president, he comes to power with the people's assent through elections, and if he leaves, he leaves if the people demand it, not because of the judgment of the United States, the U.N. Security Council, the Geneva Conference or the Geneva Communique," said Assad.

"If the people want him to stay the president stays. In the opposite case, he should swiftly step down."

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