Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Monday 21 august 2017

Syria’s Assad rejects security cooperation with the West

By ALBERT AJI troops and pro-Iranian mili-
BASSEM MROUE tiamen are gaining ground
Associated Press across the country under
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — the cover of Russian air-
Syrian President Bashar strikes. Many countries
Assad on Sunday refused have ceased calling for
any security cooperation him to step down.
with Western nations or the Speaking before dozens of
reopening of their embas- Syrian diplomats in Damas-
sies, until they cut ties with cus, Assad praised Russia,
opposition and insurgent Iran, China and Lebanon’s
groups. Shortly after Assad Hezbollah for supporting
gave his speech, a shell hit his government during the
the first international fair in conflict.
the country since the war He said Syria will look east
began six years ago, kill- when it comes to political,
ing and wounding several economic and cultural re-
people. lations. “The direct support
Assad’s defiant comments of our friends, politically,
come at a time when his economically and militar-

In this photo released by the official Facebook page of the Syrian Presidency, Syrian President
Bashar Assad speaks to Syrian diplomats, in Damascus, Syria, Sunday, Aug. 20, 2017. In defiant
comments Sunday, Assad blasted the West, rejecting any security cooperation or reopening of
embassies in Damascus before those countries cut relations with opposition groups.
(Syrian Presidency Facebook page via AP)
ily, made our advance on The Syrian president said his and wounded 11 but did
the ground greater and country’s economy is turn- not say who was behind
the losses of war less. There- ing to growth again “at a the attack.
fore, they are our partners very slow pace, although The state-run news agency
in these achievements on we are under an almost said the shelling inflicted
the road to crush terror- complete embargo.” casualties but gave no fur-
ism,” Assad said. The government had billed ther details. It blamed the
“Let’s be clear. There will the international trade fair, rebels in the suburbs of the
be no security coopera- which opened three days capital, saying they fired
tion nor opening of embas- ago, as a “victory” and the shell in violation of a
sies or even a role for some a sign of renewed confi- truce reached earlier this
countries that say that they dence in the war-torn na- month in the eastern sub-
want to play a role in end- tion. urbs of Damascus known
ing the crisis in Syria before The Mortar News in Damas- as eastern Ghouta.
they clearly and frankly cut cus Facebook page, which The Syrian crisis began in
their relations with terror- tracks violence in the capi- March 2011 with a peace-
ism,” Assad said. “At that tal, said the shell hit the en- ful uprising against Assad’s
point maybe we can speak trance of the fair, killing four government, later escalat-
about opening embassies.” people and wounding four ing into a full-fledged civil
Following months of steady others. war after a brutal govern-
military advances, Syria’s The Britain-based Syr- ment crackdown and the
government has sought to ian Observatory for Human rise of an armed insurgen-
portray itself as the victor in Rights, an opposition-run cy. The conflict has since
a war that is winding down, group that reports on both killed an estimated 400,000
and is looking ahead to re- sides of the conflict, said people and displaced half
construction. the shell killed five people the country’s population.q