Assad: Only Syrian people can decide if I quit

Syrian president Bashar al-Assad finally spoke about the refugee crisis and pointed the blame at Europe for “supporting terrorists”.

Their destination was an airfield south of Latakia, Syria, which could become the most significant new Russian military foothold in the Middle East in decades, USA officials said.

Secretary of State John Kerry called his Kremlin counterpart Sergei Lavrov to restate the U.S. position after Russia’s President Vladimir Putin promised to maintain military support for Assad.

Russia’s decision to increase its military footprint in Syria to try to boost the Assad regime’s waning power has diminished hopes of reaching a diplomatic solution to the crisis.

In an interview with Russian media, excerpts of which were carried Tuesday, Assad reaffirmed his longtime claim that it’s necessary to uproot “terrorism” before discussing political transformation.

The Syrian government considers all armed groups fighting to topple Assad to be terrorists. The insurgents in Syria range from the hardline Islamist Islamic State to nationalists viewed as moderate by the West.

“They can not accept the reality that we are the only power fighting ISIS on the ground”, he said in reference to the United States. “This is what the western propaganda campaign is all about”, Bashar Assad added. The Obama administration has been perplexed by Russia’s ramped up support for Assad, which includes about a half dozen battle tanks delivered in recent days.

CB: Because France is a very loyal ally along with the United Kingdom of America and therefore there is no real disapproval of French action in Syria, or in Africa or elsewhere where its military is involved.

In his first public comments on the mass migration, broadcast on Wednesday, Assad said Europe could expect more refugees.

One USA official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly, likened the menu of options to “spaghetti on the wall”. “There can’t be a role of the Assad regime in efforts to stabilize the situation in Syria, much less go against ISIL”. Putin said it is impossible to defeat the Islamic State group without cooperating with Damascus and urged other countries to join the cause.

Russian Federation has staunchly backed up Assad throughout a civil war that has killed about 250,000 people and turned millions into refugees, shielding him from United Nations sanctions and providing him with weapons despite Western criticism.

“They do not recognize others as partners and sovereign states”.

Gregory R. Copley, editor of Defense & Foreign Affairs, suggests that the Syrian conflict is a war that is externally generated and sponsored predominantly by Turkey which has ambitions to get Assad out of Syria and to remove Iran’s influence in Syria. “It stands with the Syrian state politically, economically and militarily”, he said. “These European double standards are unacceptable”, he said.