Assad: Syria in Real War, Policies Focused on Securing Victory
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad said on Tuesday that his country, in the grips of an anti-regime uprising now in its 16th month, is in a "real situation of war."
"We are witnessing a real situation of war," state news agency SANA quoted him as telling a meeting of the new Syrian cabinet.
But Assad insisted that "when one is in a state of war, all our policies and capabilities must be used to secure victory."
His remarks came as the United States on Tuesday said that a "desperate" Assad was slowly losing his grip on power, citing recent defections of army officers and soldiers to neighboring Turkey and Jordan.
"Clearly, Bashar Assad has been slowly -- too slowly -- losing his grip over his country," White House spokesman Jay Carney said.
Syria has been hit by deadly violence that has claimed more than 15,000 lives, monitors say, since an uprising erupted in March 2011 against Assad's regime.
Assad, who has made rare public appearances since the uprising erupted, insists that his regime is battling "armed terrorist groups."
On June 3 he told parliament of his determination to crush the rebellion "at any price."
Western powers have repeatedly warned against a civil war in Syria.
On Saturday Assad issued a decree forming a new government, less than two months after controversial parliamentary elections boycotted by the opposition.
27 June 2012, 06:06
06
This idiot thinks He's Joseph Stalin. If people can't love him, He beleives they'll fear him. Stalin was at the of of the largest country on Earth, this blind ophtamologists is just a baffoon being played by Russia and the other countries. I wouldn't want to be a dictator in 2012.... after what happened to Saddam, Ghadaffi and Mubarak. Only Ben Ali made it alive... with condamnations in absentia. However, I don't think KSA will welcome this Giraffe, their Jeddah zoo is already packed.
27 June 2012, 13:26
14
I wasn't on Naharnet 16 months ago and it's funny how you feel threatened. You can't be in your right mind if you believe the Giraffe will remain in power. the best case scenario for him is what happened to the Yemeni 'president'. America and Israel don't hate him... only the oppressed Lebanese that weren't collaborators do. Because if the occidentals hated him, He'd already be gone. You gota see the bigger picture my friend, not just the local one.
27 June 2012, 17:58
01
lol! and your M8 friends kept claiming that nothing was going on in syria! then that everything was under control! then that all should be finished the week after!! lol!
but we are all witnessing the kind of murderous regime that M8 is supporting telling us long on the way of thinking of M8 and ther supporters....
27 June 2012, 18:03
01
"all the top anti-syrians of today were all the biggest collaborators of yesterday. they made their fortunes in joint ventures with the syrian regime, and then they shifted to the other side with only one possible reason: a juicier offer from US and/or saudi."
lol seems you are forgetting all those M8 leaders that were collaborators yesterday and still are today!!! and making dollars still with this regime along with iran...
at least the collaborators of yesterday have stopped collaborating with this terrorist regime but M8 is still collaborating, see the difference? ;)
and if USA and israel really wanted this regime out it would have been gone a long time ago! but assad is preserving israel's golan height, forgot that? so stop your us conspiracy motto as the us and israel have no interest in seeing your friend out!
