We didn’t say that 80% [of terrorists], for example, or the majority or the vast majority, are foreigners. We said the vast majority are Al-Qaeda or Al-Qaeda offshoot organizations in this region.
BASHAR AL-ASSADThe Russians always base their policies on values, and these values are the sovereignty of other countries, the international law, respecting other people, other cultures, so they don’t interfere in whatever is related to the future of Syria or the Syrian people.
More Bashar al-Assad Quotes
-
-
I cannot afford to make mistakes.
BASHAR AL-ASSAD -
But for us, in Syria, we have principles. We’ll do anything to prevent the region from another crazy war. It’s not only Syria. Because it will start in Syria.
BASHAR AL-ASSAD -
In the eighties, we asked for international coalition against terrorism after the Muslim Brotherhood crisis in Syria when they started killing, of course they were defeated at that time. We asked for the same thing. So, this is a long-term policy that we base our policy on for years now.
BASHAR AL-ASSAD -
You cannot be desperate when the army is making advances. That should have happened – if we take into consideration that this presumption is correct and this is reality – you use it when you’re in a desperate situation.
BASHAR AL-ASSAD -
The external support can never substitute internal support, the example that we have to look at very well is Egypt and Tunisia ; they have all the support from the West and from the Gulf and from most of the countries of the world.
BASHAR AL-ASSAD -
There is no such things as “Islamic terrorism,” because terrorism differs from Islam. There’s just terrorism, not Islamic terrorism. But the term “Islamic terrorism” has become widespread.
BASHAR AL-ASSAD -
You cannot reform your society or institution without opening your mind. So the core issue is how to open the mind, the whole society, and this means everybody in society including everyone.
BASHAR AL-ASSAD -
The Russians are fighting for us, for the world, and for their self.
BASHAR AL-ASSAD -
How could that army do that if it’s a family army or a sect army ? What about the rest of the country who support the government ? It’s not realistic, it doesn’t happen. Otherwise, the whole country will collapse.
BASHAR AL-ASSAD -
Why should you use a term [rebels] in the United States and England and maybe other countries and use another term in Syria ? This is a double standard that we don’t accept.
BASHAR AL-ASSAD -
Regarding fighting terrorism, we are ready to cooperate with anyone in this world with no conditions. That’s crux of our policy, not today, not yesterday; for years, even before the war on Syria, we always said that.
BASHAR AL-ASSAD -
We don’t say that we don’t have it, we’re still secular in Syria, but with the time, this secularism will be eroded.
BASHAR AL-ASSAD -
It is not my democracy as a person; it is our democracy as a society.
BASHAR AL-ASSAD -
I don’t believe in war, I believe in the principle of deterrence.
BASHAR AL-ASSAD -
The United States accused Syria, and because you accused you have to bring evidence [of chemical weapons], this first of all. We have to find evidences when we are there.
BASHAR AL-ASSAD