Source : Trend.Az
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday ruled out dialogue with opposition groups he called "puppets" of the West and vowed to continue battling "terrorists" and "gangsters" fighting to overthrow his regime, DPA reported.
"These are the enemies of the people, the enemies of God. Eventually they resorted to terrorism to terrorize the people," al-Assad said in a televised address, his first public remarks since November.
"They call it a revolution, but it has nothing to do with revolution. A revolution needs thinkers. Those are a bunch of criminals," he added, referring to rebels fighting to depose him.
Al-Assad said the rebels, backed by foreign powers, were waging an "external war" on Syria.
His speech at Damascus University in the capital was interrupted by the applause of loyalists who chanted: "With our blood, with our soul, we will defend you Assad."
He thanked Russia, China and Iran - his main allies - for their support.
There was no indication from his speech that he was willing to make concessions to the opposition or heed calls by Western powers that he step down.
As he stepped down from the podium, a group of supporters mobbed al-Assad.
The United Nations this week said that some 60,000 people have been killed in the uprising, which erupted in March 2011
Keine Kommentare:
Kommentar veröffentlichen