Syria is in a state of war since its land was occupied for more than four decades, and the nature of the frontier in Syria implies that most of the army is in inhabited areas, most of the centers are in inhabited areas.

We have the precedent of Collin Powell ten years ago, when he showed the evidence, it was false, and it was forged.

The first question that I ask : do I have public support or not. That is the first question that I asked as President. If I don't have the public support, whether there's the so-called "Arab spring" - it's not spring, anyway - but whether we have this or we don't, if you don't have public support, you have to quit, you have to leave. If you have public support, in any circumstances you have to stay. That's your mission, you have to help the people, you have to serve the people.

Freedom and democracy are nothing but instruments, just like stability. The goal is called progress and growth. Anyone who puts freedom ahead of stability is hurting growth.

[Enemies of Syria] are the enemies of the people and the enemies of God. And the enemies of God will go to hell.

You cannot have democracy without the institutions. You cannot have a democracy that is built on the moods of self-interested people.

We are the fault line; if you don't deal with this fault line, you're going to have an earthquake, that's what we always said.