Syrian President Bashar al-Assad insists he will "live and die" in Syria, even as countries offer him safe passage in exchange for halting a gruesome civil war.
"I'm not a puppet, and I was not made by the West to go to the West or to any other country," he told Russia Today TV. "I am Syrian. I was made in Syria and to live and die in Syria."
He also made an ominous threat against foreign intervention, saying it would have a "domino impact" on the world.
"I think that the cost of
foreign invasion of Syria, if it happened, would be greater than one
that the whole world can afford," he told Russia Today. "Because if
there were problems in Syria, particularly as we are the last bastion of
secularism, stability and coexistence in the region, it will have a
domino impact that will affect the world from the Atlantic Ocean to the
Pacific Ocean.
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"And you know its
implications on the rest of the world. I do not think that the West is
moving in this direction, but if they do, no one can predict what will
happen after."
Al-Assad's comments came
after British Prime Minister David Cameron broached the idea of giving
him "safe passage" if that's what it takes to stop the bloodshed in
Syria.
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