Warning to the West
August 22, 2011
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday warned against military interference in his country's affairs by outside forces.
In an interview broadcast on Syrian state television, Assad spoke of grave consequences for any nation that intervened with force in his country.
Assad said Syria's geopolitical position as a crossroads in the Middle East, as well as its own military capabilities, meant such actions would prove costly.
"As for the threat of a military action ... any action against Syria will have greater consequences [on those who carry it out], greater than they can tolerate," said Assad.
No country has so far proposed the kind of action NATO forces have carried out to support Libyan rebels seeking to topple Moammar Gadhafi. However, the United States and European Union called on Assad to step down last week with new sanctions imposed by Washington.
Assad is under pressure to step down over his a crackdown on five months of protests in which 2,000 civilians have died according to the United Nations.
But while Syria was prepared to take advice from countries within the region, said Assad, outside interference was not acceptable.
Confidence in quelling dissent
The interview, lasting 40 minutes, was Assad’s first on state television since he became president in 2000.
The 45-year-old president added that the resistance in the country had become more militant, but said he was confident that authorities could deal with it.
Assad said he expected parliamentary elections to be held in Syria next February. He added that political groups other than his own Baath party would be permitted to take part.
The regime has blamed armed groups for the violence, claiming more than 500 security personnel had died since the unrest erupted.
On Friday, activists said Assad's forces had killed 34 people, including four children, in the cities of Homs and Deraa, the suburbs of Damascus and the ancient desert tourist destination of Palmyra.
Author: Richard Connor (AFP, Reuters)
Editor: Martin Kuebler