We cannot use jihadists because it’s like shooting yourself in the foot.
BASHAR AL-ASSADWe cannot use jihadists because it’s like shooting yourself in the foot.
BASHAR AL-ASSADThis war [in Syria] is going to support Al-Qaeda and the same people that killed Americans in the 11th of September.
BASHAR AL-ASSADYou 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-ASSADThat the rebels or the terrorists used the chemical weapons in northern Aleppo five months ago [in 2013].
BASHAR AL-ASSADWe are facing an external attack against us, which is more dangerous than any other previous wars… We are dealing with those who are extremists, who only know the language of killing and criminality.
BASHAR AL-ASSADLebanon was under Israeli occupation, up to its capital, but we did not consider that a disaster. Why? Because it was very clear that there are ways to resist.
BASHAR AL-ASSADHamas will not disappear. Hamas will not raise the white flag. Hamas has the trust of the people, and anyone who wishes to destroy it must destroy an entire people.
BASHAR AL-ASSADAny strike will be as direct support to Al-Qaeda offshoot that’s called Jabhat al-Nusra and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. You’re right about this. It’s going to be direct support.
BASHAR AL-ASSADThe 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-ASSADAs I said, this [repercussions] may take different forms : direct and indirect. Direct when people want to retaliate, or governments. Indirect when you’re going to have instability and the spread of terrorism all over the region that will influence the west directly.
BASHAR AL-ASSADIt should be known that Israel is based on treachery.
BASHAR AL-ASSADSyria is in a state of war since its land was occupied for more than four decades, and the nature of the frontier in Syria implies that most of the army is in inhabited areas, most of the centers are in inhabited areas.
BASHAR AL-ASSAD[Hezbollah forces] cannot exist all over Syria anyway, for many reasons, but they exist on the borders.
BASHAR AL-ASSADRegarding 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-ASSADSome of these agendas wanted me to quit, very simply, so they said “we have all the guarantees if you want to leave, and all the money and everything you want.” Of course, you just ignore that.
BASHAR AL-ASSADAccording to what we’ve been seeing recently in the area where the terrorists control, where they ban people from going to schools, ban young men from shaving their beards, and women have to be covered from head to toe.
BASHAR AL-ASSAD