I will not quit under foreign pressure, says Syrian president
Assad urges Western countries to stop supporting terrorists
MOSCOW – Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said in an interview to a Russian TV that he would not quit under foreign pressure, saying a president comes to power with the people's assent through elections, and if he leaves, he leaves if the people demand it.
He said Iran was supporting his government politically, economically and militarily but denied that Iranian ground forces had been sent. Assad was re-elected in 2014 with 88.7% of the vote. He said that the refugee crisis which has seen more than four million Syrians flee the country, and millions more internally displaced, was due to terrorism.
He urged Western countries to stop supporting terrorists if they were concerned about an influx of refugees. Both Russia and Syria are pointing to the refugee crisis and the rise of Islamic State as proof that their stance has been correct. Russia says it is helping Syria fight Islamic State militants.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has pledged continued military support for President Assad and has urged other countries to join Russia in sending military-technical assistance. A Pentagon spokesman said on Monday that a steady flow of people and equipment near the north-western city of Latakia suggested Moscow was planning to establish a forward air operating base at an airport there.
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