Syria Says Will Not Give In 'Even if There Is WWIII': We'll Attack Jordan, Turkey if They Participate in Operation
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Syria said Wednesday it had taken "every measure" to retaliate if hit by a feared U.S.-led military strike and would never give in, even if a third world war erupts.
In an exclusive interview with Agence France Presse, Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Muqdad also insisted that Russia had not wavered in its support, despite comments by President Vladimir Putin suggesting a more conciliatory tone towards the West.
"Syria has taken every measure to retaliate against... an aggression," he said, although he refused to provide any clue as to what that might mean.
"The Syrian government will not change position even if there is World War III. No Syrian can sacrifice the independence of his country," he added.
Meanwhile, in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Muqdad warned that Syria will strike back not only at Israel, but at Jordan and Turkey if they participated alongside the U.S. in a military attack.
U.S. President Barack Obama is busy trying to convince Congress to approve a strike against the Assad regime in retaliation for a suspected deadly poison gas attack on August 21 that Washington blames on Damascus.
The regime categorically denies any responsibility for the alleged attack in Damascus suburbs and has said it is cooperating with U.N. inspectors who are currently analyzing samples taken from the sites of the suspected incident.
Analysts fear that the conflict currently tearing Syria apart will spill over permanently into fragile, neighboring countries such as Lebanon, where supporters of the Damascus regime are already pitted against its opponents.
And allies Russia and Iran have warned that any military intervention would have devastating regional consequences.
But in an interview broadcast earlier Wednesday, Putin appeared to strike a more conciliatory note by saying he did not exclude agreeing to strikes if it was proven the regime had carried out the alleged gas attack.
Yet Muqdad stressed that Moscow had not wavered in its support of Damascus.
"The Russian position is unchanged; it's a responsible position of a friend that is in favor of peace," he said.
In later comments at a Kremlin meeting, Putin appeared to corroborate this, warning the U.S. Congress that it would be legitimizing an "aggression" if it gave its blessing to military action in a vote expected next week.
Washington says the alleged chemical weapons attack on August 21 killed more than 1,400 people.
Since the Syrian conflict broke out in March 2011 with an uprising against the Assad regime, more than 110,000 people have died, including over 40,100 civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
04 September 2013, 16:52
1219
Don't worry Mister Meqdad.... there is not going to be a WW III over Syria. You are not worth it. The Russians as per their cheap nature will sit, watch, and do nothing. I just wonder how you never retaliated to the Israeli aggressions since 1973? Do you know how many? Google it....LOL.
04 September 2013, 17:07
1416
The Saudi-inspired human eaters will always bring invasions to Arabs since 500 years ago started with the Turks. Remember, the Saudi convinced us its better to be occupied by the Turks: they are Sunnis after all. Its laughable to see some people are cheering for Saudi-welcomed invasion
04 September 2013, 17:39
1513
The Iranian-controlled baby-killers will always seek to have the Arabs invaded by the Farsis; it started 512 years ago with the Safavids. Remember, the Farsi convinced you it is better to die and have all of your people die and whatever country you blight with your presence burn rather than live up to International Human norms: you are brainwashed, after all. It's pitiful to see some people still supporting Farsi-promoted mass-murder of one's own population.
04 September 2013, 17:32
1313
Israel has striked Syrian target several times in the past years, inlcuding the nuclear research plant in Deir Ezzor and chemical weapons depots. Syria hasn't lifted a single finger.
04 September 2013, 17:55
116
the best advise for Faisal Muqdad is Better to Remain Silent and Be Thought a Fool than to Speak and Remove All Doubt. for 2+ years, you have been unable to defeat a fragmented enemy that is under-armed and has no air support but you believe you are capable of taking them on along with the consequences attacking Turkey and Jordan brings? who buys this B.S.?
04 September 2013, 19:18
413
With a weakened army who until now is not able to crush the SFA, they want to fight the whole world around them? Better stick to the war of words...
04 September 2013, 20:27
134
what is it with these arab banana republic arab dictators--Saddam and Gaddafi boasted a lot too, and Bashar could probably ask them how that went.
It didn't work out too well for them though because they're DEAD.
04 September 2013, 21:00
126
Baker. Lies. I believe Germans and french 100 times more than Russians.
Besides what exactly do you likke in bachar? What is there to like?
04 September 2013, 21:23
107
Bye bye Bachar. Threats towards France, and now Jordan and turkey.... By the day, the dictator is deepening his graveyard.
04 September 2013, 22:03
124
Muqdad is heavier (Assa'al) than Sahhaf (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Saeed_al-Sahhaf) and should get his own personal tomahawka labeled Sqootwlaaaa (with a Syrian accent).
Both Hafez and Bashar look like aliens. time to make them go back to their planet.
04 September 2013, 22:14
109
Ft. Amazing how you allow yourself to judge and attack people whose opinion is different from yours. So you don't like M14? You don't like a strong sovereign state? You believe Lebanon will prosper with the assadist regime nearby?
Or do you just have an anticonformist mindset that makes you automatically look at the other side of the coin in each situation, and that trapped you in defending the devil AKA Assad?
04 September 2013, 22:25
125
"Syria has taken every measure to retaliate against... an aggression,"
yeah, just like they did when israel bombed them twice... killou haki LOL
04 September 2013, 22:30
00
out of all the comments I read here haile.selassie is the only one who comments objectively and doesn't incite hatred towards others. Any argument seizes to be an argument when one starts name calling. state your points in a civilized manner and that's it. As for those who are not Lebanese and are paid to incite hatred between the us please stop pretending to be Lebanese from either group. You know very well who you are and you will be the first to attack me with your comments. I hope my comment changes your attitudes towards each other.
04 September 2013, 22:42
1011
It amazes me how all you M14ers are cheer leading and celebrating international law violations by supporting and calling on the US to be Al-Qeada's Air Force. You people are sick.
Furthermore, if you M14ers think bombs aren't going to be dropped on Libnan, think again. Libnan will be just as hard hit, maybe not right away, but soon.
Keep cheering them on you idiots. Lets see how long you'll be cheering when you bust running away from F-22's.
BTW Thanks Naharnet for you fair and unbiased ways. Ive lost track of how many oh my accounts have been deleted. Cant handle the truth eh?? :)
04 September 2013, 22:50
59
Can't handle idiots..... Who keep whining after receiving warnings.
04 September 2013, 23:47
010
i would have called him flamerKaram..... you know the Israeli collaborator that doesn't get death penalty thanks to Aoun.
07 September 2013, 09:45
00
@FT: the majority of Americans are against strikes for economic purposes mainly, and out of fear of retaliations, not by ideology -bel 3akes. But most of them don't like the Assad regime, like any sane human would not like such a butcher and criminal.
04 September 2013, 23:12
95
ft--you support a butcher who has killed over 100k people who tries to get legitimacy from a country who has a dictator who killed 60 million people.
seriously dude, you are a brainwashed tool. FREE YOUR MIND.
04 September 2013, 23:51
19
the majority of theUS citizens are against this war not because ASSad did not gas his own people, they just don't want to get involved. Just because they don't want to get involved does not mean ASSad is innocent!
04 September 2013, 23:51
65
show us one piece of evidence that assad did not do it if you are so smart? LOL
04 September 2013, 23:55
83
Two dictators (Bashar and Putin) and Two Mullas (Hassoun and Khameni) decided against the world that the people of Ghouta committed suicide. No Chemicals were used, it was simply a tragedy.....
04 September 2013, 23:55
77
You want me to show you evidence, yet Im not accusing anyone. It's YOU and Al-Qeada and the US that are accusing Assad with no evidence. Do you understand now, or should i break it down for you some more....holy crap, its impossible for people to be this stupid.
05 September 2013, 00:43
63
sure thing, but lebanese do not care about lebanon otherwise they wouldn t follow like sheep irresponsible and mafiosi leaders like they do...
05 September 2013, 00:52
25
exactly.... nobody forces anyone to drive like nutjobs on the highways, steal each other, kill each other, abduct each other. this isn't the will of Bachar or Khamenei.(they are much worse) it's only the will of a few lebanese protected by LEBANESE political filth.
05 September 2013, 01:19
00
They will attack Turkey, Jordan and Israel. They did not mention Lebanon, will they not attack us or do they consider that they have us in the bag. Proof again that Lebanon is considered by the whole world as a HA state. I demand that Lebanon be placed on the list of Syria's defensive strikes. But then again that is already happening.
05 September 2013, 01:28
18
When they start talking like this, that's how you know that they are desperate.
05 September 2013, 03:53
33
they cannot even defeat the "terrorists " that they are fighting. Their days are numbered and I cannot wait till they receive a sound thrashing that will render them incapable of fighting anyone. The US will not let Assad leave Syria in one piece. I hope Iran and its followers are next.
05 September 2013, 03:54
33
you are beating a dead horse just like your Iranian masters.
05 September 2013, 05:03
33
yes we will attack jordan, turkey, saudi, US , france....with the ob'a'b of ghawar el tousheh.......yes we will fly nuclear war heads from battle station galactica down on washington DC .....sure you will...once the strikes are decided, half the army will change sides or go home......
05 September 2013, 05:06
05
yes we should unite for the sake of the country....but the assads will NEVER leave lebanon in peace just because they do not think we deserve to exist but only as a backyard where you throw your trash......
05 September 2013, 05:43
13
Yes I wish I was Bashar (he made a good living ruling a country), but I sure hate to be Syria or Lebanon with Bashar as a ruler.
05 September 2013, 08:31
00
u see? didctators are all the same, he wont step down even if it means WW3 or even if it means 10million dead! that why bachar has to cease to exist
