Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Monday 11 June 2018

Assad says West is fueling Syria war, hoping to topple him

Associated Press enemies in order to destroy
BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian our army?"
President Bashar Assad said Israel carried out a wave
in an interview published of airstrikes against Iranian
Sunday that the West is forces in Syria last month.
fueling the devastating The lack of any Russian
war in his country, now in its response, despite the
eighth year, with the aim of heavy Russian presence
toppling him. in the skies over Syria,
Assad told The Mail on suggested that Moscow
Sunday that Western might have been notified
nations have lied about ahead of time.
chemical attacks in Syria Assad said he has remained
and supported terrorists in office through more than
groups there, while seven years of war because
Russia has supported his he has "public support."
government against the "We are fighting the
foreign "invasion." terrorists, and those
Assad reiterated his long- In this photo released on Sunday, June 10, 2018 by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrian terrorists are supported
held position that the President Bashar Assad speaks during an interview with the Daily Mail, in Damascus, Syria. by the British government,
uprising against his rule was Associated Press the French government,
part of a plot to remove the Americans and their
a leader that did not go half a million lives. puppets whether in Europe
along with Western policies Since then, Western or in our region," he said.
in the region. Syria is allied nations and independent "We are fighting them, and
with Iran and Russia, and experts have accused the we have public support
has had turbulent relations government of carrying out in Syria to fight those
with the West. Syria is several chemical weapons terrorists. That's why we are
technically at war with attacks, most recently in advancing. We cannot
Israel, which occupies the April, in an attack near make these advances just
Syrian Golan Heights, but a Damascus that reportedly because we have Russian
cease-fire has largely held killed dozens of people and Iranian support."
since the 1970s. and prompted Western In recent weeks, the Syrian
"The whole approach airstrikes. The government government and its allies
toward Syria in the West is, has denied ever using have made considerable
'we have to change this chemical weapons. military gains, including
government; we have to Assad also dismissed reports bringing the entire capital
demonize this president, that Israel has conducted and its suburbs under full
because they don't suit our recent airstrikes in Syria with government control for
policies anymore.'" Assad tacit Russian cooperation. the first time since the war
said. "They tell lies, they talk Russia has provided began. Some areas in the
about chemical weapons. crucial military support to north are controlled by
They talk about the bad Assad's forces, waging an the Turkish military and its
president killing good air campaign since 2015 Syrian allies and others in
people, freedom and that turned the tide of the the northeast are run by
peaceful demonstrations." war in Assad's favor. Iran U.S.-backed Syrian forces.
Syria's conflict began in and Lebanon's Hezbollah Rebel fighters remain in
2011 with peaceful protests group have also provided control of most of Idlib
against the Assad family's extensive military support. province in the northwest
decades-long rule. The "Russia never coordinated and parts of southern Syria.
government's violent with anyone against Syria, On Sunday, activists and
response to the protests, either politically or militarily," a war monitor said at least
and the eventual rise of an Assad said. "How could 10 people were killed in
armed insurgency, tipped they help the Syrian Army airstrikes in Taftanaz, a
the country into a civil war advancing and at the town in northeastern Idlib
that has claimed nearly same time work with our province.q