Page 4 - Minister Arthur Dowers
P. 4
WORLD NEWS 9
Thursday 17 September
Assad says his priority is ‘defeating terrorism’ in Syria
ZEINA KARAM its fifth year, repeating only Syrian President Bashar Assad speaks during an interview in Damascus, Syria. Speaking in an
Associated Press that some mistakes have
BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian Presi- been made. interview with Russian media, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2015, Assad said the refugee crisis now hitting
dent Bashar Assad said Moscow has been a
in an interview aired staunch supporter of Assad Europe is a direct result of the West’s support of “terrorists” in Syria. (AP Photo/SANA)
Wednesday that his priority throughout the crisis. Rus-
is “defeating terrorism” in sian President Vladimir Pu- “Nothing’s changed about to stabilize the situation in an “impartial” broker of
Syria and urged all political tin has said it is impossible the fact that we don’t Syria, much less go against dialogue between Syrian
and armed factions in the to defeat the Islamic State want to see the Assad re- ISIL.” groups. He urged the for-
country to unite in the fight group without cooperat- gime getting any support,” In the interview, Assad mation of a united front
against terrorist groups. ing with Damascus. He has State Department spokes- did not directly address against the Islamic State
In an interview with Rus- urged other nations to fol- man John Kirby said. the Russian moves, only group, saying the priority of
sian media, Assad also said low Russia’s example and “There can’t be a role (for) praising Moscow as an every single Syrian citizen is
there can be no political offer military support to the Assad regime in efforts “independent state” and to be secure.q
solution for his country’s Assad’s government.
crisis until terrorism is de- In recent days, Moscow
feated. He singled out the has sent about a half-doz-
Islamic State group, which en battle tanks and other
has captured about a third weaponry — along with
of Syrian territory along military advisers, techni-
with large swaths of land in cians, security guards and
neighboring Iraq, as well as portable housing units —
al-Qaida’s branch in Syria, to Syria with the appar-
the Nusra Front, and “some ent goal of setting up an
others,” without specifying. air base near the coastal
The government in Da- town of Latakia, an Assad
mascus has long labelled stronghold.
all armed groups fighting U.S. officials have said Mos-
Assad’s forces as “terror- cow is simply trying to prop
ists.” Assad made no refer- up Assad and have reject-
ence to the extreme vio- ed his participation in the
lence his forces have used global war on the Islamic
on civilian areas during the State group, also known by
country’s civil war, now in its acronyms ISIL or ISIS.
Lebanon police clash with protesters again over trash crisis
ZEINA KARAM testers had brought eggs ered outside government el-Solh Square, which has Heaps of garbage accu-
Associated Press to pelt politicians’ convoys offices, demanding the become the epicenter in mulated in Beirut’s streets
BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanese while others tried to block release of those detained the standoff between the after authorities closed the
police beat back protest- the street. and chanting against the government and the pro- capital’s main landfill on
ers with clubs and sticks Baton-wielding riot po- government. “We, the testers. July 17 and failed to pro-
and arrested dozens of lice soon clashed with the people, are the red line,” “We will stay here until the vide an alternative.
people in downtown Beirut protesters, at one point they shouted. last detainee is released,” The protests quickly moved
on Wednesday as a sec- dragging two of them on Some threw trash-filled said Arabi al-Andari, who beyond just the trash in
ond session of dialogue the ground and violently bags at the barbed wire was released and came to the streets to target an en-
among politicians got un- beating both. Some pro- that has been erected join the protesters again. tire political class that has
derway, the latest confron- testers shouted at the po- around the offices, while A crisis over uncollected dominated the country
tations this city has seen lice: “Shabiha,” Arabic for others burned trash in pro- trash in the Lebanese capi- and undermined its growth
over the country’s summer thugs. Ambulances rushed test. tal has ignited the largest since the civil war ended
trash crisis. to the scene and took the Later, the official National protests in the country in in 1990. Lebanon has a
The small group of activ- wounded away. The main News Agency said the years and has emerged sectarian power-sharing
ists had gathered near the group behind the protests, prosecutors ordered the as a festering symbol of system that often leads to
parliament building, where “You Stink,” said 40 people release of all those de- the government’s paralysis incessant bickering and
the meeting was taking were arrested. tained. But the protesters and failure to provide ba- cronyism among the coun-
place. Some of the pro- By evening, dozens gath- remained in Beirut’s Riad sic services. try’s politicians.q
