President Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday threatened the crisis in Syria could spill over into Jordan, in an hour-long interview with official Al-Ikhbariya channel. "The fire will not stop at our borders; all the world knows Jordan is just as exposed (to the crisis) as Syria," said Assad, accusing Jordan of allowing rebels and arms free movement across its borders. "I cannot believe that hundreds (of rebels) are entering Syria with their weapons while Jordan is capable of arresting any single person with a light arm for going to resist in Palestine," Assad said.

President Bashar al-Assad warned on Wednesday the West that it will pay a heavy price for its alleged support of Al-Qaeda in Syria and said his regime's defeat is not an option. Assad, whose regime has been battling an uprising since March 2011, told state television Al-Ikhbariya in an interview that the West is playing with fire and that the conflict could also spill over into Jordan.

President Bashar al-Assad said on Wednesday the Syrian people would decide whether he should stay or go, implying that he might run for elections scheduled for 2014. "The position (of president) has no value without popular backing. The people's decision is what matters in the question of whether the president stays or goes," said Assad, in an hour-long interview with official Al-Ikhbariya channel. rd-ser/al

President Bashar al-Assad warned Western states on Wednesday that they will pay a heavy price at home for their alleged support of Islamists in the Syrian conflict and said defeat of his regime was not an option. Assad, whose regime has been battling rebels trying to oust him since March 2011, told Al-Ikhbariya state television that the West is playing with fire, according to excerpts released by his office.