President Assad Does Not Rule out Running for 2014 Presidential Elections
Local Editor
The Syrian President Bashar Assad considered that no obstacle prevents him from running for the next presidential elections in 2014, stressing, at the same time, it was too early to discuss the issue before the announcement of the election date.
In an interview with Al-Mayadeen TV Network, President Assad accused Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey of supporting terrorism in Syria.
“Saudi Arabia openly supports the militant groups and carries out the US plans faithfully”, Assad pointed out.
Assad slammed Saudi Arabia for its socio-political corruption and considered that it does not have the right to criticize the other states for any case of corruption.
“Saudi Arabia will change its attitude towards Syria if USA does”, Syrian President added, “Bandar bin Sultan is part of the whole Saudi system that is subjected to the American will.
In this context, the Syrian president said that the political relations between the Arab countries are subjected to the American will.
Regarding Qatar President Assad said that it must stop its intervention in Syria affairs, including arming and funding the militant groups, if it decides to reform the Qatari-Syrian relations.
Assad further emphasized that the Turkish government supported the Muslim Brotherhood in Syria to enable them to rule the country.
President Assad praised the Iraqi stance towards Syria and said that Baghdad considers that the dangers posed by the Syrian crisis threaten its stability.
Commenting on the Lebanese dissociation policy regarding Syria crisis, Assad said that Lebanon allowed the military smuggling operations on its borders with Syria.
The Syrian leader also said that his country refrains from intervening in the Lebanese internal affairs.
President Assad added that he is waiting for a phone call from his Lebanese counterpart to present the proofs that condemn Syria in Samaha cause.
Syria Supports Honest Resistance Parties
The Syrian President accentuated that his country will always support the honest resistance parties, including Hezbollah that interfered in Syria crisis to protect the common national project.
In this context, President Assad pointed out that if Hamas returns to its initial state of resisting the Zionist enemy, we will support it.
“Hamas, however, betrayed Syria and the Syrians who preferred the Palestinian interests to the local ones”.
“The factors that guarantee the success of Geneva II have not been ready yet,” Assad said.
In this concern, the Syrian president called on the UN-Arab League envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi to abide by his mission and not to depart from it.
President Assad asserted that the Syrian government will attend Geneva II conference.
“We are ready to start the negotiations with the peaceful opposition factions, not the armed ones,” he added, ” The Syrians must approve any solution for the crisis”.
President Assad considered that Syria is achieving a vast progress in its battle against terrorism.
President Assad pointed out that in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, Syria called on confronting terrorism, yet “none in the world took care”.
“Syria has always been against terrorism and held international alliances to fight it”.
Syria is now fighting al-Qaeda on its territories which large quantities of weapons were smuggle into after Iraq invasion.
“When the demonstrations failed to reach its aim, they intensified the smuggling operations to overthrow the state in Syria,” Assad added.
“When the opposition adopts the military track it becomes a terrorist group”, Assad pointed out
“The Western and the Arab countries supported these terrorist groups to carry out their plots in Syria”.
According to the Syrian leader, the Americans are selfish because they think of their interests regardless of their partners’.
Assad recounted the incidents that illustrate the American-French pressure against Syria to change its policies that personify the real Arabism and resistance and attain the supreme national interests.
Source: Al Manar
