Syrian President Bashar al-Assad waves at supporters during a public appearance in the capital, Damascus. (file photo)<\/p>\n
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says his country\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s future will be determined by its people only and he has no plans to resign before the next year’s election.\n<\/p>\n
“To resign would be to flee,” Assad said on Saturday during an interview with the Argentine newspaper Clarin<\/i> and the Argentine state news agency Telam in Damascus.\n<\/p>\n
He made the remarks when questioned about a call by US Secretary of State John Kerry, who asked the Syrian leader to stand down.\n<\/p>\n
“I don’t know if Kerry or anyone else has received the power of the Syrian people to talk in their name about who should go and who should stay. That will be determined by the Syrian people in the 2014 presidential elections,” Assad stated.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
He nevertheless welcomed the new agreement between the United States and Russia to find a political solution to end violence in the Arab nation, expressing hope that there will be an international conference to help overcome the crisis.<\/p>\n
However, he expressed skepticism about Washington\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s real intentions.\n<\/p>\n
\u00c5\u201cWe do not believe that many Western countries really want a solution in Syria. And we don’t think that the forces that support the terrorists want a solution to the crisis.”\n<\/p>\n
During the Saturday interview, Assad once again rejected Western accusations that his government has used chemical weapons against civilians.\n<\/p>\n
“The accusations against Syria regarding the use of chemical weapons or my resignation change every day. And it is likely that this is used as a prelude to a war against our country,” he warned.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The use of chemical weapons “would mean the death of thousands or tens of thousands of people in a matter of minutes. Who could hide something like that?” he questioned.<\/p>\n
MRS\/AS
\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n