Syria's Assad Lands In Saudi Arabia For Arab League Summit

 

Al Jazeera: Syria’s Assad arrives in Saudi Arabia in first visit since war 

President Bashar al-Assad to attend the Arab League summit on Friday, a sign of his regional rehabilitation. 

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has arrived in the Saudi port city of Jeddah, according to Al-Arabiya TV and Syrian state television. 

Al-Assad will attend the Arab League summit on Friday after Syria was reinstated to the regional organisation this month, more than 11 years after its suspension.  

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WNU Editor: No question about it. this is a huge win for Syrain President Assad, and a huge loss for the West. Update: Syrian President Assad has just been invited to COP28 .... Syrian president Assad invited to COP28 climate summit by the UAE (CNN). 

Syria's Assad Lands In Saudi Arabia For Arab League Summit  

Syria’s Assad arrives in Saudi Arabia for regional summit, sealing his return to the Arab fold -- AP

Arab League head welcomes Syria back into the bloc -- Reuters 

Syria's Assad lands in Saudi for Arab summit: state TV -- Al-Monitor/AFP  

Syria’s Assad Rejoins Arab League For the First Time in 13 Years -- New York Times 

Saudi Arabia Welcomes Assad in Diplomatic Win for Syrian Leader -- Bloomberg

What Is Next For Syrian President Bashar al-Assad

Reuters: No sweet victory for Assad as economy collapses and U.S. sanctions hit

BEIRUT/AMMAN (Reuters) - Just last year, President Bashar al-Assad seemed on the brink of crowning military victories by easing his diplomatic isolation and recovering more of Syria without a bullet being fired.

Not only had U.S.-allied Kurds invited government forces back to the northeast, but businessmen from the once hostile United Arab Emirates visited Damascus to scout out investment opportunities and regional trade had started to pick up.

Thanks to intervention from Russia and Iran on his behalf, nearly all of Syria’s main cities and towns are under government control, with rebels who fought since 2011 to overthrow Assad now confined to a patch of territory near the Turkish frontier.

But today, the mood in Damascus is gloomy.

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WNU Editor: The Syrian economy will need hundreds of billions in aid and years to recover. Two items that Syrian President Assad will not be given anytime soon. And while I do not expect Syrian President Assad to be overthrown at anytime in the future, the country that he governs is a shell of its former self, dependent on countries like Iran and Russia to provide its security.

Syrian President Bashar Assad: Trump’s Transparency Makes Him The ‘Best American President’ Ever

Syrian President Assad said on Thursday that President Trump is the best type of president for a foe due to his open talk of annexing Middle Eastern oil. pic.twitter.com/B9AZdnwoRK

— NBC News (@NBCNews) November 1, 2019

FOX News: Syria’s Assad says Trump’s transparency makes him ‘best American president’ ever

Syrian President Bashar Assad says he thinks Donald Trump is the "best American president" ever – because he’s the "most transparent."

The embattled ruler’s comments come as U.S. troops returned to eastern Syria to protect oil fields the Pentagon does not want to see fall back into the Islamic State’s hands.

“When it comes to Trump you may ask me a question and I’ll give you an answer which might seem strange. I tell you he’s the best American president,” Assad said, according to a translation. “Why? Not because his policies are good, but because he is the most transparent president.”

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Update #1: Syria's Assad calls Trump the 'most transparent president' (Politico)
Update #2: Assad: Trump is the best US president (Arutz Sheva)
Update #3: Assad says Trump is the best ‘foe’ to have because he’s transparent about oil (Washington Examiner)

WNU Editor: Syrian President Bashar Assad is not saying this as a compliment.

According To Syrian President Assad, U.S. and Russia Military Came ‘Close’ to Fighting Each Other In Syria

RT: ‘We were close to direct conflict between Russia & US inside Syria’ – Bashar Assad

Syrian President Bashar Assad says Moscow deterred the West from launching a devastating country-wide air strike last month, and believes that Damascus has nearly won the seven-year war, despite continued US “interference.”

“With every move forward for the Syrian Army, and for the political process, and for the whole situation, our enemies and our opponents, mainly the West led by the United States and their puppets in Europe and in our region, they try to make it farther – either by supporting more terrorism, bringing more terrorists to Syria, or by hindering the political process,” Assad told RT correspondent Murad Gazdiev, during a sit-down interview in Damascus, noting that without outside funding his opponents inside the country could be subdued “within a year.”

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More News On Today's RT Interview With Syrian President Bashar Assad

U.S. and Russia Military Came ‘Close’ to Fighting Each Other in Syria, Assad Says -- Newsweek
Assad raises prospect of clashes with U.S. forces in Syria -- Reuters
Syria’s Assad threatens to attack area under US-backed Kurds -- AP
Syria's Assad threatens force against US-backed Kurds -- AFP
Syrian president Bashar al-Assad hits back at Donald Trump, raises prospect of US clash in Syria -- ABC News Online
Assad says US must leave Syria, vows to use force if negotiations with SDF fail -- Daily Sabah
Assad tells US to leave Syria -- CNN
Syria's Assad: Improving Air Defenses to Stop Israeli Strikes, Ready to Confront U.S. Troops -- Haaretz/Reuters
Syria's Assad vows to retake areas held by US-backed Kurds -- Al Jazeera

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Thanks Iran, Russia For Help. Rejects Security Cooperation With The West

Reuters: Syria's Assad says Western plots against him foiled but war not yet won

AMMAN (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Sunday his country had foiled Western designs to topple him but his army had not yet won the fight to end Syria's six-year-old insurgency.

In an televised address, Assad said that even though there were signs of victory after six-and-a-half years of civil war, the "battle continues, and where we go later and it becomes possible to talk about victory...that's a different matter".

He did not elaborate on that point.

However, he said the assistance extended by stalwart allies Russia, Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah movement had enabled the army to make battlefield gains and reduce the burden of war.

"Their direct support - politically, economically and militarily - has made possible bigger advances on the battlefield and reduced the losses and burdens of war," Assad added.

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More News On Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Thanking Iran And Russia For Help. Rejects Security Cooperation With The West

Syria: Bashar al-Assad rejects security cooperation with west -- The Guardian/AP
No relations with Syria for countries backing rebels: Assad -- Daily Star
No relations with Syria for countries backing rebels: Assad. -- AFP
Syria's Assad Thanks Iran, Russia For Helping Thwart Attempts To Oust Him -- RFE
Al Assad praises foreign allies four years on from Damascus gas attack -- The National
Assad says Western plot to topple him foiled, praises Iran's support to Syria -- Ynetnews
Syrian President thanks Russia, Iran, Hezbollah for support -- Jerusalem Online

Syria's President Bashar-al Assad: Chemical Attack Is ‘100 Percent Fabrication’

BBC: Syria chemical attack 'fabricated' - Assad

Syria's President Bashar-al Assad says reports of a chemical attack by his forces were "100% fabrication".

In an exclusive video interview with Agence France-Presse, he said "there was no order to make any attack".

More than 80 people were killed in the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun on 4 April, and hundreds suffered symptoms consistent with a nerve agent.

Witnesses said they saw warplanes attack the town but Russia says a rebel depot of chemical munitions was hit.

Shocking footage showed victims - many of them children - convulsing and foaming at the mouth. Sufferers were taken to hospitals across the border in Turkey.

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More News On Syrian President Bashar-al Assad's Claim That The Chemical Attack On April 4 Is ‘100 Percent Fabrication’

Syria's Assad says chemical attack '100% fabrication' -- AFP
Assad calls Syria chemical attack a ‘fabrication,’ dismisses evidence -- Washington Post
Assad: Chemical attacks '100 percent fabrication' -- The Hill
Syria’s Bashar Assad: Chemical Weapons Attack Is ‘100 Percent Fabrication’ -- NBC
Assad: Chemical attack is ‘100 percent fabrication’ -- Politico
Bashar al Assad: Syria chemical attack is '100 per cent fabrication' -- The Independent
'Were those children even dead at all?' Brazen Assad claims sarin gas attack in Syria was '100% fabricated' to justify military strikes by the US who are 'hand-in-glove with terrorists' -- Daily Mail
Syria's Assad Says His Forces Not Dented by U.S. Strikes -- Bloomberg

Before Today's U.S. Missile Strikes Syrian President Assad Tells Paper He Sees No 'Option Except Victory' in Syria

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad speaks during an interview with Croatian newspaper Vecernji List in Damascus, Syria, in this handout picture provided by SANA on April 6, 2017. SANA/Handout via REUTERS

Reuters: Assad tells paper he sees no 'option except victory' in Syria

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said there is no "option except victory" in the country's civil war in an interview published on Thursday, saying the government could not reach "results" with opposition groups that attended recent peace talks.

The interview with Croatian newspaper Vecernji List appeared to have been conducted before U.S. President Donald Trump accused Assad of crossing "many, many lines" with a poison gas attack on Tuesday.

Assad was not asked about the chemical attack in the northwestern Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun, a text of the interview published by the Syrian state news agency SANA showed. The government has strongly denied any role.

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WNU Editor: It is not going to be easy for him now.

Syrian President Assad: 'Some Refugees Are ‘Definitely’ Terrorists'

Yahoo News: Exclusive: Syria’s Assad tells Yahoo News some refugees are ‘definitely’ terrorists

Weighing in on one of the most contentious issues in American politics — the danger posed to host countries by the 4.8 million people who have fled from Syria’s civil war — Syrian President Bashar Assad told Yahoo News that some of the refugees are “definitely” terrorists.

In an exclusive interview with Yahoo News at a presidential office in Damascus, Assad said President Trump’s freeze on admitting refugees from his country — part of an executive order that has drawn widespread protests and is being challenged in federal court — “is an American issue” on which he would not take sides. But asked if some of those who fled are “aligned with terrorists,” Assad quickly replied, “Definitely.”

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WNU Editor: The 9th U.S. Circuit Court disagrees .... U.S. Appeals Court Has Struck Down President Trump's Travel Order And Border Controls.

Is Syrian President Assad In Ill Health?

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad speaks to French journalists in Damascus, Syria, in this handout picture provided by SANA on January 9, 2017. SANA/Handout via REUTERS

Reuters: Syrian government denies rumors Assad in poor health

The Syrian government has denied rumors that President Bashar al-Assad is suffering from ill health, saying he was "carrying out his duties quite normally".

Speculation swirled in recent days on social media and some Arab news websites saying Assad, 51, was in critical condition, citing rumors of stroke, or even that he had been shot.

"The presidency denies all these reports. President Assad is in excellent health," his office said in a statement on Friday.

"They (the reports) coincide with the changing circumstances in the field and politically," it said, without elaborating.

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WNU Editor: I mentioned a few weeks ago that Syrian President Assad looked sick. He has clearly lost a lot of weight, and he is now looking gaunt.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Blames The U.S. For Truce Collapse

Reuters: President Assad to AP: Syria war will 'drag on' as part of global conflict

President Bashar al-Assad said in an interview with AP News broadcast on Thursday that Syria's war will "drag on" as long as it is part of a global conflict funded and interfered in by other countries.

"When you talk about it as part of a global conflict and a regional conflict, when you have many external factors that you don't control, it's going to drag on," Assad said.

Syria's five-year-old war pits Assad, backed by Russia, Iran and Arab Shi'ite Muslim militias against a myriad of Sunni Muslim rebel groups, including some supported by the United States, Turkey and Gulf Arab states.

The conflict has wrought a devastating human toll, killing hundreds of thousands, displacing half the country's pre-war population of 22 million and included poison gas attacks, starvation sieges and raids on hospitals.

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More News On Syrian President Assad's Interview With The AP

Full Transcript of AP Interview With Syrian President Assad -- New York Times/AP
Assad blames US for Syria truce collapse -- AP
Assad: Syrian Conflict Will 'Drag On' With No End in Sight -- VOA
Assad Rejects Claims Syrian, Russian Forces Struck Aid Convoy En Route to Aleppo -- Sputnik
Syrian president in AP interview says US “doesn’t have the will” to join Russia in fighting militants in Syria -- AP
Bashar al-Assad: If Aleppo was under siege, people would be dead -- Middle East Eye
Assad: US air strikes on Syrian army base were ‘definitely intentional’ -- The Independent
US airstrikes on Syrian troops were ‘intentional,’ lasted nearly 1 hour – Assad to AP -- RT

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Gives A Rare Interview To NBC News

NBC: Bashar Al-Assad Says U.S. Is 'Not Serious' About Defeating ISIS

DAMASCUS, Syria — A defiant Bashar al-Assad expressed confidence that Syria's bloody war could be won within months, saying Russia's intervention has helped tip the scales toward victory.

Assad spoke exclusively to NBC News on Wednesday at his office in Damascus in a wide-ranging interview about the Syrian war, ISIS, the U.S. and his legacy.

He was unruffled by the State Department branding his vow to retake every inch of Syria as "delusional," saying it was only a matter of time until he regained full control of his country.

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WNU Editor: I do not like Assad .... but this is a must see video.

More News On Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's Interview With NBC

Assad says US is 'not serious' about defeating ISIS: Syrian leader says Washington lacks the determination that Russia has shown in fight against terrorists -- Daily Mail
Syria’s Bashar Assad blasts anti-Islamic State effort led by U.S. as counterproductive, illegal -- Washington Times
Syrian President Bashar Assad slams Obama and presidential candidates in rare interview, says America is ‘not serious’ about defeating ISIS -- New York Daily News
Assad on Trump: Obama, Clinton, Bush had no foreign policy experience, either -- Politico
Syria's Assad criticizes Americans' penchant for presidential candidates with little foreign policy experience -- FOX News
Assad Claims Russia's Assistance Unmasked US Plans Regarding Terrorists -- Sputnik
Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad: I would warn US of ISIS attack -- Today.com
Assad: No talks with Russia about leaving power -- BBC
Syria war: Assad says Russia not pressuring him to quit -- Al Jazeera
Russian Support for Syria Tipped Scales in War Against Terrorists - Assad -- Sputnik
Syrian forces did not kill or know Marie Colvin, Bashar al-Assad says -- CNN

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Visits The Frontlines

Euronews: Syria: Assad pays rare frontline visit

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has paid a rare visit to the frontline of the country’s civil war.

Filmed in a Damascus suburb on Sunday at an air base recently recaptured by government forces, Assad was seen touring several positions and talking with government troops.

Now in it’s firth year, the Syrian conflict, which began as an uprising against Assad’s rule, has killed more than 250,000 people and displaced 11 million others.

The footage, broadcast on pro-government channel Syrian TV, also showed Syria’s President breaking fast with troops, who continue to fight during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

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Update #1: Rare pictures of Assad show him enjoying feast just miles from besieged Syrian town (Telegraph)
Update #2: Assad breaks bread with Syrian soldiers during Ramadan (YNet News)

WNU Editor: He has lost a lot of weight.

In A Major Blow To The Syrian Peace Talks, Syrian President Assad Vows To Continue The War

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad answers questions during an interview with al-Manar's journalist Amro Nassef, in Damascus, Syria, in this handout photograph released by Syria's national news agency SANA on August 25, 2015. REUTERS/SANA/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS

The Guardian: Syrian president Bashar al-Assad vows to retake whole country

Assad’s comments, made just hours before agreement reached in Munich over cessation of hostilities, deal blow to hopes of negotiated solution to war

Bashar al-Assad has dealt a swift blow to international efforts to secure a ceasefire, deliver aid and promote a negotiated solution to the war in Syria, vowing to regain control of the entire country and warning that it could still “take a long time”.

The Syrian president was speaking to the AFP news agency in Damascus on Thursday, hours before an agreement was reached in Munich on arranging a cessation of hostilities and the urgent despatch of food, medicines and other supplies to hundreds of thousands of civilians in besieged areas.

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More News On Syrian President Assad Vowing To Continue The War

Syria ceasefire in tatters before it has even begun: Assad boasts he will 'retake the whole country' just hours after John Kerry announces peace deal -- Daily Mail
Syria's Assad says to keep fighting as peace talks proceed: AFP -- Reuters
Syria conflict: Bashar Assad vows to retake whole country -- BBC
Bashar al-Assad vows to retake whole of Syria by force despite ceasefire attempts -- The Independent
Bashar Assad Vows to Retake Syria, Warns It Could Take 'A Long Time' -- NBC
Assad warns about risks of Saudi and Turkish intervention into Syria -- TASS
Syria ceasefire in danger after Assad vows to retake 'the whole country' -- Mashable
Assad just made a promise that effectively turns John Kerry's new plan for Syria on its head -- Natasha Bertrand, Business Insider

Where Is Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s Family?

INSTAGRAM/VOGUE/REUTER

Justin Worland, Time: What We Know About the Lives of Bashar al-Assad and His Family

Syria's dictator appeared on the world stage again in Moscow on Wednesday. Where has he been?

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s trip to Russia Tuesday marked his first known travels outside his country since its civil war began in 2011. Assad’s family also appears to have remained in the country’s capital for the past half decade.

The trip to Moscow, reportedly at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, marks a show of strength for Assad. In addition to showing his ties a powerful ally, Assad’s move demonstrates that he doesn’t fear his government will be overthrown in his short but notable absence.

The family is apparently based in the capital, Damascus, which remains relatively untouched by the violence that has raged in the eastern parts of the country. But the presidential palace, which was reported to cost up to $1 billion and sits atop a hill outside the city, reportedly serves primarily as a workplace. Assad and his family live “elsewhere,” according to a Daily Telegraph interview conducted in the palace’s guest house in February. It’s unclear how often the palace is used, author Jeremy Bowen reports:

WNU Editor: I do not think anyone knows how they are living now ..... but one thing is sure .... their lives will never be what it once was.

Assad: A Russia, Syria, Iran, And Iraq Failure Will Result In The Destruction Of The Middle East

© REUTERS/ SANA/Handout via Reuters

Deutsche Welle: Assad applauds Russian, Iranian support for Syrian government

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said Russia's airstrikes against targets in Syria are vital for stability in the Middle East. The embattled leader decried international meddling in Syria's political leadership.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said Sunday that the success of Russia's military intervention in his country's civil war was vital for the entire region.

"The alliance among Russia, Syria, Iraq and Iran must succeed or else the whole region will be destroyed," Assad said in an interview broadcast by Iranian state television, his first public remarks since Russia began its Syrian air campaign.

Assad also criticized Western countries, accusing them of fuelling terrorism by supporting rebel groups, and fueling the refugee crisis.

WNU Editor: There are many who are responsible for the current chaos in the Middle East .... and Bashar Assad is definitely one of those on the top of that list.

More News On Syrian President Assad's Remarks

Assad: Russian failure in Syria would 'destroy' Mideast -- AFP
Assad: Russia, Syria, Iran, Iraq Will Save Region or It Will be Destroyed -- Sputnik
Assad says Syria, allies will defeat terrorism as Russia targets IS group -- France 24
Syria President: Campaign against ‘terror’ must succeed -- AP
Assad gives backing to Russian airstrikes on Syrian militant groups -- The Guardian

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Blames The West For Its Refugee Crisis

BBC: Syria conflict: Assad 'won't quit under pressure'

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said in an interview for Russian TV he will not quit under foreign pressure, saying the Syrian people must decide.

Western powers and much of the Syrian opposition say it is not conceivable for Mr Assad to lead a post-war Syria.

Mr Assad said Iran was supporting his government "politically, economically and militarily" but denied that Iranian ground forces had been sent.

The latest comments come as Russia increases its presence in Syria.

WNU Editor: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad blaming everyone but himself for the chaos in his country is a routine that he has used for years. This rhetoric may appeal to his supporters and allies, but on the ground where the war is being raged his comments and remarks fall on deaf ears.

More News On Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Interview With Russian TV

Syria's Assad blames West for refugee crisis -- Reuters
Syria's Assad Rejects Resignation Amid Fight With Islamists -- Bloomberg
Syria's Bashar al-Assad: West is to blame for refugee crisis -- CNN
'Crying' West at root of Europe migrant crisis: Assad -- AFP
Bashar al-Assad: Europe and Isis to blame for refugee crisis -- IBTimes

Syrian President Assad Interviewed By French Television

France 24: French, Syrian intelligence in contact, not cooperation, says Assad

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told a French TV station Monday his country’s intelligence services were in contact with their French counterparts, but there was “no cooperation or exchange of information”.

Asked about a rumoured resumption of talks with French intelligence services, Assad said that contact had been made between French and Syrian officials. “We held meetings with some officials from the French intelligence services but there was no cooperation or exchange of information,” he told France 2 in an unprecedented interview with a French national channel. “If you’re seeking cooperation, both sides need to be willing,” he added, inferring that while Paris had instigated the talks, they had not sought collaboration.

More News On Syrian President Assad Being Interviewed By French Television

Assad: French-Syrian intelligence services 'held meetings' -- Middle East Eye
Assad claims contacts between Syrian, French intelligence services -- FRI
Assad: France supporting ‘terrorists’ in Syria, acts as Washington’s satellite. -- RT
Assad says no Iran troops in Syria, denies fresh chemical attacks -- Al Arabiya
Assad: There are no Iranian troops in Syria. -- Al Jazeera
Bashar Assad Denies Iran's Involvement In Syrian Conflict -- IBTimes
Assad admits Hezbollah involvement in Syria -- KUNA
Assad denies using devastating barrel bombs by gov’t forces in Syria. -- Sputnik
Syria: US-led coalition “not serious” and unhelpful, President Assad -- North Africa Post

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on 60 Minutes

CBS 60 Minutes: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on 60 Minutes

Charlie Rose interviews the Syrian dictator as a four-year-old civil war drags on in which his regime has been accused of devastating attacks on civilians

The following is a script from "Bashar al-Assad" which aired on March 29, 2015. Charlie Rose is the correspondent.

Four years ago, the Obama administration declared that Syria's Bashar al-Assad must go. Today, President Assad is still there, but much of the country has gone. Assad's Syrian government has lost control over significant amounts of its territory -- to either ISIS or Syrian rebel groups. Four million Syrian refugees have fled the country. More than 200,000 have died -- most from Syrian military bombing of territory controlled by his opponents.

More News On Syrian President Bashar al-Assad On 60 Minutes

Syria gets Russian arms under deals signed since conflict began: Assad -- Reuters
Syrian president says IS is expanding despite airstrikes -- AP
Bashar al-Assad says US air strikes are not easing jihadist threat -- The Telegraph
Syria's Assad: Islamic State has strengthened despite airstrikes -- CSM
Assad says ISIS has expanded since US air strikes began -- News 24
Assad: Support for Islamic State Has Expanded in Syria Since US-Led Airstrikes -- VOA
Assad 'open' to negotiations with US, says ISIS strengthening despite airstrikes -- FOX News
Syrian president says Islamic State has grown despite US airstrikes -- Deutsche Welle
Assad: Daesh has expanded since US-led airstrikes began -- Al Bawaba
Number of ISIL Militants Rising Amid Coalition Airstrikes, Assad Says -- Sputnik
Damascus Sounds Warning Over U.S.-Led Strikes On Islamic State -- Radio Free Europe
Assad: Turkey Helping IS Fighters Enter Syria -- SKY News

A Reporter Reflects On His Interview With Syrian President Assad

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad (R) shakes hands with a military personnel during his visit to a military site at Darya area, on the occasion of the 68th anniversary of army day, in this handout photograph distributed by Syria's national news agency SANA on August 1, 2013. REUTERS-SANA-Handout via Reuters

Jonathan Tepperman, Washington Post: I interviewed Bashar al-Assad about Syria’s civil war. He’s still too delusional to end it.

WNU Editor: A depressing read .... because Jonathan Tepperman just validates (what most of us already know) who Syrian President Assad is. Bottom line .... he is someone who is going to stay as long as possible in his "bunker" .... and he will not leave willingly even when his own supporters are telling him to leave or to step aside for someone else.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad: U.S.-Led Strikes On Syria Ineffective

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad speaks during a meeting with leadership and members of the Tartous branch of al-Baath Party in Damascus November 20, 2014, in this picture released by Syria's national news agency SANA. Credit: Reuters/SANA/Handout via Reuters

Assad Says U.S.-Led Strikes On Syria Ineffective: Paris Match Magazine -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said U.S.-led strikes in Syria have made no difference and described himself as a captain trying to save his ship, in comments to a French magazine and carried by the presidency's Twitter feed on Wednesday.

Coalition forces led by the United States began bombing Islamic State militants and other jihadist factions in Syria in September. Asked whether this had been helpful to him, Assad, whose forces have fought the same groups, told Paris Match: "You can't end terrorism with aerial strikes.

"Troops on the ground that know the land and can react are essential. That is why there haven't been any tangible results in the two months of strikes led by the coalition," he said according to interview extracts on Paris Match's website in English.

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More News On Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's Remarks That U.S.-Led Strikes On Syria Are Ineffective

Assad: US-Led Airstrikes Not Serious or Efficient -- ABC News/AP
Syrian President: U.S.-led airstrikes have caused 'no change' in ISIS strength -- CNN
Assad tells Paris Match US strikes on 'IS' ineffective -- Deutsche Welle
Coalition strikes against IS not working: Assad -- AFP
Bashar Assad mocks U.S. airstrikes on ISIS as not "serious" -- CBS/AP
ISIS Airstrikes Ineffective? Syria's Assad Criticizes US Aerial Campaign Against Islamic State -- IBTimes
Assad: US-Led Coalition Airstrikes Against IS Targets in Syria Ineffective -- Sputnik
In new interview, Bashar al-Assad demands America bomb his country harder -- Zack Beauchamp, VOX