Syria’s Assad: ‘We trust the Russians’

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ASSAD-IRAN-RUSSIA- HEZBOLLAHSyrian President Bashar al-Assad has said he is confident that his main allies, Russia and Iran, will stand by him.
There has been speculation that they might abandon him to allow a settlement to be reached to end the fighting in Syria.

Mr Assad said he welcomed Russian officials meeting different factions in the conflict and trusted them to maintain “their great relationship with Syria”.

He expressed “strong confidence” that Russia will continue supporting his embattled regime.

“We have strong confidence in the Russians, as they have proven throughout this crisis, for four years, that they are sincere and transparent in their relationship with us,” Assad said.

Assad described Russia as “principled”, while “the United States abandons its allies, abandons its friends.”

He added: “This was never the case with Russia’s policy, neither during the Soviet Union, nor during the time of Russia… Russia has never said that it supported President Such and Such and then decided to abandon him.”

Defends Hezbollah presence in Syria

Assad described on Tuesday as “legitimate” the presence of fighters from Hezbollah in Syria to back his forces against anti-regime gunmen.

“The difference (between Hezbollah and foreign anti-regime fighters) is legitimacy. Who invited Hezbollah to Syria?” Assad asked.

“It came after an agreement with the Syrian state, and the Syrian state is a legitimate state,” whereas “the other terrorist forces came to kill the Syrian people,” the president told Hezbollah’s mouthpiece al-Manar television network in an interview.

Hezbollah, along with Russia and Iran, have been Assad’s major allies since Syria’s revolt broke out in 2011.

They have been “beyond loyal,” said Assad.

His rare television interview came as Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the Syrian crisis with Jordan’s King Abdullah II on the sidelines of the Maks-2015 aerospace show in Moscow.

Power of Iran is the power of Syria
Assad had been asked by al-Manar’s correspondent about U.S. President Barack Obama’s comments earlier this month that Russia and Iran “recognize that the trend lines are not good for Assad.”

He rebuffed the statement, saying Iran, too, remained a steadfast ally.

He said the recent nuclear deal between Iran and world powers would strengthen Iran’s role internationally, in turn benefiting Syria.

“The power of Iran is the power of Syria, and a victory for Syria is a victory for Iran.”

The president added: “We are on the same axis, the axis of resistance.”

Officials in Washington and other western nations have long called for Assad’s ouster, insisting he could not play a role in a political solution to Syria’s crisis.

Syria’s conflict began with anti-government demonstrations in March 2011.

But after a bloody crackdown by the ruling regime, it spiraled into a multi-front civil war that has left more than 240,000 people dead.

Several international efforts to bring about a political solution to the crisis have failed.
BBC/AFP

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6 responses to “Syria’s Assad: ‘We trust the Russians’”

  1. Michaelinlondon1234 Avatar
    Michaelinlondon1234

    left more than 240,000 people dead? then there is the issue of 2.5 million Syrians being added to the population over this time due to population growth. with about 1.8 million dying of old age..Net gain of about 700,000 people.
    More than half the country is desert..So still need to put some effort in to forests and creating arable land. If you are not using a piece of farm land plant food trees (Orchards)

    1. 5thDrawer Avatar
      5thDrawer

      Here’s a ‘Positive site’, where you CAN find positive moves and things done right … like the ‘National Forest’ concept of 1916 – actually still around 100 years later. 😉
      http://www.upworthy.com/6-times-something-jon-stewart-said-or-did-actually-made-a-difference-in-the-world?c=ufb2

      Farming anything in Syria has gone for a time … they are back to ‘gathering’ whatever pops up.

      1. Michaelinlondon1234 Avatar
        Michaelinlondon1234

        I did follow the link.
        https://youtu.be/eDLuikHh_20
        Looking at the Syrian landscape. They are half way there to using it all.
        Lebanon is similar.
        Egypt and Ethiopia have a lot of land not being used.
        Southern coastal region from yemen to India is similar. Just missing water..Which is where the micro dams and surface water swales etc Forests comes in. Forests create a climate, repair soils. But when things have dryed out so much need help to start.

  2. Um, where did you get these numbers? A couple of million Syrians left the country and many millions more are internal refugees. In war time, birth rates usually plummet and death rates (above and beyond casualties) go up due to lack of services.
    And are you aware that Syria has been in the grip of a vicious drought for years? It caused hundreds of thousands of Beduin and peasants to move to cities in couple of years leading to revolt in 2011. WSJ had an article in 2009 or 2010, cannot recall, where a reporter went to visit nuke site that Israel bombed and reported on poor condition of underfed soldiers, abandoned farms and general malaise. Syrians were trying to show Israeli aggression and reporters were asking questions about why no one was living in any of the areas they drove through.
    And which Syrians are going to be nursing trees and plants while fearing for their lives?
    And why is this being discussed in response to this article about Syria and allies?

    1. Michaelinlondon1234 Avatar
      Michaelinlondon1234

      In war time, birth rates usually plummet????? Wrong. Look at Afghanistan’s population over 50 years of almost none stop war.
      The only time populations shrink big time is when disease hits. And through mankind’s history That can happen with or with out war. Traditionally droughts were the other cause. If the population is not able to move due to pre industrial transport. So today millions move around the world quickly. 100 years ago it took weeks, months or years to move the same distance.
      Syria/Drought/world in general. We have had a paridime shift in the last hundred years and the UN/western policy makers are too slow to get up to speed. Or hyjaked by vested interest. Which is why I am putting the boot in with support for subsistence farmers. That is why I post farming videos that are not American or Israeli. They can look after themselves.

  3. Patience2 Avatar
    Patience2

    Maybe he could get rid of the Paris apartment and get a nice flat near Gorky Park??

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