Posted on 06/14/2015 7:35:47 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
The Syrian government says it has weathered worse spells in the four-year-old conflict than the current advances by insurgents across the country and is confident its army can hit back with the help of its allies.
The assessment offered by Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad in an interview with Reuters in Damascus conflicts with the view of Western officials who see mounting pressure on President Bashar al-Assad from insurgent advances across Syria.
An uprising which started against Assad in 2011 has evolved into a civil war in which hardline groups such as al Qaeda’s Nusra Front and Islamic State have become the dominant insurgent forces. Around a quarter of a million people have died and 8 million have lost their homes.
Mekdad said increased support from Assad’s regional foes Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey had been key to recent insurgent advances. But he forecast more support from Syria’s allies: Iran, Russia and Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement, “our principal ally”.
Western areas of the country widely seen as key to Assad’s survival – including the capital – were secure, he said. Damascus was not vulnerable like during parts of the first two years of the crisis, he said.
“I think Syria was under more pressure (before),” Mekdad said in the interview late on Thursday.
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com.au ...
It definitely could be worse.
They could have obozo as their president. Small country, big power, no checks and balances — baby Doc II as he wanted to be here.
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