‘Not Their Business’: Assad Says US Is Nobody To Decide If He Should Remain Syria’s President

Bashar al-Assad said on Sunday that he was open to negotiations with the U.S. The Syrian president, however, added that the U.S. government would only accept “followers,” not “partners.”

Assad said that Syria had not attacked the American population. He added that his government had never supported terrorists doing anything against the U.S. Assad clarified that his country had always wanted to have good relation with the United States and “never thought in the other direction.”

The Syrian president reacted to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s comments. Kerry said earlier in March that the U.S. government was working very hard with other interested parties to see if it could reignite a diplomatic outcome. He added that everyone believed that there could only be a political solution to the Middle Eastern situation, not a military one.

Assad, on the other hand, blamed the U.S. not accepting “partners.” According to him, the U.S. only accepts “followers.” The Syrian president said that even Europe was not a partner of the U.S. “The West used to have puppets,” Assad said, “They demonise Putin because he can say no, and he wants to be independent.” He accused the U.S. of being a nation which only accepted “yes.”

When asked why the Westerners question Assad’s legitimacy as the Syrian president, he said that the public support of the Syrian people was his legitimacy. Assad will give up power when the Syrian public stop supporting him and when he does not represent the Syrian interests and values, he added.

The Syrian president, however, said that no wise person would think of having a bad relation with a great power like the United States. He said that he was “open” to talks. It is the U.S. which should be ready for the negotiation, he added.

Assad was asked if he would be able to be friends with a country which did not want to him to be in power. He replied that it was not the U.S. government’s “business” to decide if he should be in power. There are Syrian people who can decide it for themselves, he said. Assad added that his government would not discuss the issue with anyone no matter if they wanted to talk about it or not.

Contact the writer: s.mukhopadhyay@ibtimes.com.au