We were on the way to democracy. We didn't say that we are fully democratic, we were on the way, we were moving forward. Slowly or fast, that's subjective, cannot be objective, that's always subjective. But we're moving forward in that regard.
Bashar al-AssadFirst of all, when you have a doctor who cut the leg to prevent the patient from the gangrene if you have to, we don't call butcher ; you call him a doctor, and thank you for saving the lives.
Bashar al-AssadIn reality, you cannot withstand for five years and more against all those countries, the West, and the Gulf states, the petrodollars, and all this propaganda, the strongest media corporations around the world, if you don't have the support of your own people. That's against the reality.
Bashar al-AssadWe are against any WMD, any weapons of mass destruction, whether chemical or nuclear.
Bashar al-AssadFrom the first day I took the decision as President to defend my country. So, who killed ? That's another question. Actually, the terrorists have been killing our people since the beginning of this crisis two years and a half ago, and the Syrian people wanted the government and the state institutions and the army and the police to defend them, and that's what happened.
Bashar al-AssadI have to be very clear and very honest. I'm not asking [ the American officials] to believe if they don't want to believe. This is reality, I'm telling you the reality from our country. We live here, we know what is happening, and they have to listen to people here. They cannot listen only to their media or to their research centers. They don't live here ; no one lives here but us.
Bashar al-Assad