Assad: Situation is improving

Assad

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said his country is fighting a regional and global battle and needs more time to resolve them, pointing out that the situation in Syria is practically improving, but the win needs more time.

Assad spoke in an interview with the Syrian Dunya Television Channel. "We're fighting regional and global battle and must have more time to resolve them." Assad added, "but we can shorten this process, and we are moving forward, the situation is practically getting better, but the victory needs more time."

On Syrian - Turkish relations, the Syrian president asked, "Do you think we will go back due to the ignorance of some Turkish officials or look for a relationship with the Turkish people who stood behind us during the crisis in spite of media propaganda?."

Meanwhile, the Syrian Foreign Minister accused the U.S. of being "the main player" that encourages rebels against the regime of Bashar al-Assad, in an interview published yesterday by the British newspaper The Independent. "We believe that the United States is the main actor against Syria," said Walid Muallem. According to him, the Americans use Syria to counter the influence of Iran in the Middle East and exaggerated Tehran's nuclear capabilities in order to sell weapons to the Gulf countries. Muallem cited a recent study by a U.S. think tank, the Brookings Institution, which concluded that "if you want to contain Iran, you must start with Damascus." "Western envoys told us at the beginning of this crisis that relations between Syria and Iran, Syria and Hizbullah (Lebanon), Syria and Hamas (Palestine) are the major elements behind this crisis," said the Minister. "But nobody told us why it is forbidden for Syria to have relations with," said Muallem .

The Syrian minister also accused the U.S. of supporting the rebel military offensive in providing telecommunications equipment, which means supporting terrorism.