In an interview with German journalist Juergen Todenhoefer, the Syrian head of state Bashar Assad insisted he would not quit. "A president should not run away from problems, and we have significant problems in Syria. A president should not escape in this situation. " The interview was held on July 5 2012 in Damascus.
When asked if he believed the majority of the Syrians stand behind him, Assad replied: "Yes. Of course, I still enjoy the support of the Syrian public." Assad denied that his family alone holds the power in its hands. "The majority does not participate in the demonstrations," he said.
When asked on the American role in the conflict, he replied: "They are part of the conflict. They have offered assistance to these gangs to destabilize Syria. "
Assad has also accused Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey for derailing the peace plan of the international envoy Kofi Annan. "We know that Annan faces many challenges, but do not let the plan fail (...). The main obstacle lies in the fact that several countries do not want this plan to be successful, and this is why they offer political support, weapons and money to Syrian terrorists, "said the embattled Syrian leader.
Among the countries "supporting terrorists" the Syrian president has cited Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which he said, have been supplying arms to insurgents, and Turkey, which "provides logistical support for smuggling".
He added the majority of those killed in Syria were in fact supporters of the government. They were killed by Al Qaeda men or other extremists.
