Syrian president warns of "failure" of possible intervention

MOSCOW Bashar al-Assad says the allegations that his regime used chemical weapons represented "an insult to common sense." The Syrian president also warned that the U.S. would suffer defeat if they attacked his country. Syrian president warns of "failure" of possible intervention "The reports (which blame the regime for the use of chemical weapons) of the politicians in the West and elsewhere are an insult to common sense... It is nonsense," said Assad in an interview with the Russian newspaper Izvestia, according to a Reuters report. Assad said that the U.S. would suffer defeat if they attacked Syria, "just as in all their previous wars, from Vietnam to the present day." The Syrian president believes that the leaders of Western countries will not decide to launch a long military operation against his country, because, as he said, "everyone understands that the events in Syria are not a people's revolution or demands for reform." "This is terrorism," said the Syrian president, and added: "In this situation, the Western leaders cannot tell their citizens: We're going to Syria to support terrorism." Assad said that a military intervention had been mentioned earlier, since the crisis began. According to Assad, the U.S., France and Britain tried to bring military intervention, but "to their chagrin" things took a different turn. These countries have attempted to persuade Russia and China to change their position in the UN Security Council, but did not succeed, according to him. "They have not managed to convince their citizens and the world that the policy they implemented in the Middle East was clever and useful," said the president of Syria. Assad also told the newspaper that the situation in Syria was different from what had happened in Egypt and Tunisia. "One and the same scenario of Arab revolutions has ceased to be credible. They can start any war, but they cannot know how long it will take and to how much of the territory it will spread," Assad concluded in his interview with the Russian newspaper. The United Nations, in the meanwhile, announced that a team of experts for chemical weapons will today visit the site of in a Damascus suburb in which Syrian forces reportedly used chemical weapons, which will start the investigation of the world organization, at the request of many countries. The Syrian opposition claims that on August 21, the Syrian regime used chemical weapons in attacks in the suburbs of Damascus and that more than 1,300 people were killed. The Syrian government has denied the allegations, saying that the government troops never used chemical weapons in any form. (Beta/AP, file) Tanjug Reuters, Izvestia

Syrian president warns of "failure" of possible intervention

"The reports (which blame the regime for the use of chemical weapons) of the politicians in the West and elsewhere are an insult to common sense... It is nonsense," said Assad in an interview with the Russian newspaper Izvestia, according to a Reuters report.

Assad said that the U.S. would suffer defeat if they attacked Syria, "just as in all their previous wars, from Vietnam to the present day."

The Syrian president believes that the leaders of Western countries will not decide to launch a long military operation against his country, because, as he said, "everyone understands that the events in Syria are not a people's revolution or demands for reform."

"This is terrorism," said the Syrian president, and added: "In this situation, the Western leaders cannot tell their citizens: We're going to Syria to support terrorism."

Assad said that a military intervention had been mentioned earlier, since the crisis began. According to Assad, the U.S., France and Britain tried to bring military intervention, but "to their chagrin" things took a different turn.

These countries have attempted to persuade Russia and China to change their position in the UN Security Council, but did not succeed, according to him.

"They have not managed to convince their citizens and the world that the policy they implemented in the Middle East was clever and useful," said the president of Syria.

Assad also told the newspaper that the situation in Syria was different from what had happened in Egypt and Tunisia.

"One and the same scenario of Arab revolutions has ceased to be credible. They can start any war, but they cannot know how long it will take and to how much of the territory it will spread," Assad concluded in his interview with the Russian newspaper.

The United Nations, in the meanwhile, announced that a team of experts for chemical weapons will today visit the site of in a Damascus suburb in which Syrian forces reportedly used chemical weapons, which will start the investigation of the world organization, at the request of many countries.

The Syrian opposition claims that on August 21, the Syrian regime used chemical weapons in attacks in the suburbs of Damascus and that more than 1,300 people were killed. The Syrian government has denied the allegations, saying that the government troops never used chemical weapons in any form.