Bashar al-Assad | GlobalPost

Assad tells Argentine newspaper he won't step down

Agence France-PresseMay 18, 2013 19:15

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said Saturday he welcomed a US-Russian peace initiative to end Syria's civil war but had no plans to resign, in an interview with an Argentine newspaper. "To resign would be to flee," he told the Clarin when asked if he would consider stepping aside as called for by US Secretary of State John Kerry. "I don't know if Kerry or anyone else has received the power of the Syrian people to talk in their name about who should go and who should stay. That will be determined by the Syrian people in the 2014 presidential elections," Assad said.

Assad insists he will not quit, car bomb hits Damascus

Agence France-PresseMay 18, 2013 17:00

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad insisted he will not resign before the end of his mandate in 2014 as a car bomb exploded in the capital Damascus on Saturday killing at least three people. "To resign would be to flee," Assad said in an interview with the Argentine newspaper Clarin when asked if he would consider stepping aside as called for by US Secretary of State John Kerry.

Assad departure condition for Syria solution

Agence France-PresseMay 8, 2013 14:16

The Syrian National Coalition responded on Wednesday to a US-Russian call for a political solution to Syria's conflict by saying any resolution must include the departure of President Bashar al-Assad. "The National Coalition welcomes all international efforts which call for a political solution to achieve the aspirations of the Syrian people and their hope for a democratic state, so long as they begin with the departure of Bashar al-Assad and his regime," the group said. rd-sah/al

Few options for Syria's Assad to strike back after Israeli raids

Thomson ReutersMay 7, 2013 10:38

By Dominic Evans BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has few good options for military retaliation after Israel's air strikes over the weekend but the attacks could redouble support from his regional allies Iran and Hezbollah. Assad, already battling rebel fighters who have seized large parts of his country and killed many thousands of his troops, can ill afford to confront the region's dominant military power in a devastating and likely one-sided war.

Israeli attack exposes Assad's air defense weakness: rebels

Thomson ReutersMay 7, 2013 10:31

By Khaled Yacoub Oweis AMMAN (Reuters) - It was too late when air raid sirens wailed at one of Syria's most fortified military compounds. Israeli jets were already attacking the Hameh complex and civilian employees in nearby housing were scrambling for cover with their families.

Assad makes appearance in Syria capital

Agence France-PresseMay 4, 2013 06:45

Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad made a public appearance on Saturday, attending the unveiling of a statue to "martyrs" at Damascus University, state media and his official Facebook page said. "President Bashar al-Assad joined thousands of students and the families of martyred students at the unveiling of a statue to the memory of the martyrs of Syria's universities at the University of Damascus," state television reported. A photograph posted on the presidency's Facebook page showed Assad surrounded by bodyguards and well-wishers, arms extended in a bid to shake his hand.

Syria's Assad makes rare public visit for May Day

Agence France-PresseMay 1, 2013 09:01

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad made a rare public visit on Wednesday to an electrical plant in central Damascus to mark Labour Day, the presidency's official Facebook page said. "President Assad is now visiting the Umayyad electrical plant in Tishreen Garden in Damascus and congratulates its workers and Syria's workers on their holiday," the Facebook page said. It published a picture of the president addressing a crowd of workers, some of them wearing or holding hard hats.

Assad urges Lebanon to help fight his foes -Lebanese delegates

Thomson ReutersApril 22, 2013 12:45

By Laila Bassam BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad believes neighbouring Lebanon cannot shield itself from the civil war in his country and that both states should fight his opponents, three members of a Lebanese delegation who visited Assad said on Monday. Lebanon, which suffered its own civil war from 1975 to 1990 and endured a military presence by its historically dominant neighbour for 29 years until 2005, has maintained a policy of "dissociation" from Syria's two-year-old conflict.

Assad says Qusayr now 'main battle': Lebanon ex-MP

Agence France-PresseApril 22, 2013 11:01

Syria's "main battle" at present is raging in the Qusayr area, close to the Lebanese border, President Bashar al-Assad reportedly told Lebanese politicians this weekend. Speaking to a delegation of Lebanese backers of his regime, Assad said his forces were determined to succeed in the area "at any cost," according to Abdel Rahim Mrad, a former MP who spoke to AFP after the meeting in Damascus. "The main battle is taking place in Qusayr," he quoted Assad as saying.

Iran says wants Assad to stay on and contest 2014 poll

Agence France-PresseApril 22, 2013 08:16

Iran wants Syria's embattled President Bashar al-Assad to stay on and contest the presidential election scheduled for next year, a visiting senior Iranian envoy said on Monday. "We think the best scenario is for Mr Assad to remain president of the republic until the summer of 2014," said Aladin Borujerdi, head of parliament's national security and foreign affairs commission. "After that, free elections will be held and the Syrian people can express themselves and decide on their future," he told a Damascus press conference after a meeting with Iran's ally Assad.