Syria on brink of foreign instigated war: Assad
June 3rd, 2012 - 6:46 pm ICT by IANSMoscow, June 3 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad said Sunday that the country faces a “real war” waged by external forces
Addressing parliament in a speech broadcast by Syrian television, he rejected media reports blaming government troops for the Houla massacre a week ago.
Over 100 people, including dozens of children and women, were killed in a cluster of villages in Syria’s western Homs province in what became one of the deadliest single events since the uprising against Assad began in March 2011.
Assad’s speech came a day after UN-Arab League special envoy Kofi Annan said Syria was “at a turning point” and that “the specter of all-out civil war, with a worry sectarian dimension, grows by the day.”
Though Syria is still open to a political dialogue, Assad said, this dialogue has failed so far to rid the country of terrorism.
“The political process is developing but simultaneously we see an escalation of terrorism,” the president said, adding the authorities would never seek any compromise with terrorists.
“There can be neither justification nor lenience for terrorism nor reconciliation with it or with those who support it,” Assad said, adding he was ready to forgive only those who would give up terrorism.
–IANS/RIA Novosti
sd/vm
- Russia calls for probe into Syrian massacre - May 30, 2012
- UN concerned over Syria violence escalation - Jun 13, 2012
- Annan admits failure of Syrian peace mission - Jul 08, 2012
- Assad departure no solution to Syrian problems: Russia - Mar 28, 2012
- Russia ready to back Annan proposals on Syria in UNSC - Mar 21, 2012
- Peace plan not implemented in Syria: Annan - Jun 08, 2012
- Syrian Christians fear Islamist rule if Assad goes - May 15, 2012
- Direct talks in Syrian standoff unlikely: Russia - May 15, 2012
- UN Syria envoy Kofi Annan to visit Russia - Mar 22, 2012
- Al Qaeda behind Syrian blasts, says Russia - May 14, 2012
- US team visits Moscow over Syria crisis - Jun 08, 2012
- UNSC calls emergency meet on Syria massacre - May 28, 2012
- Russia warns against hasty conclusions on Syria massacre - Jun 01, 2012
- Syria on brink of civil war: Russia - Apr 21, 2012
- Both Syrian forces, rebels to blame for massacre: Russia - May 29, 2012
Tags: arab league, bashar al assad, brink, escalation, government troops, homs, june 3, kofi annan, lenience, political dialogue, president bashar, real war, reconciliation, ria novosti, sectarian, specter, syrian president bashar al, turning point, uprising, vm