Assad vows to eradicate 'terrorists'

 

Xinhua, August 8, 2012

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said Tuesday that the Syrian people and the government are determined to purge the country of "terrorists," according to the state-run SANA news agency.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad(R) meets with visiting Saeed Jalili, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, in Damascus, capital of Syria, Aug.7, 2012. [Xinhua/SANA]

The president's remarks came during his meeting with Saeed Jalili, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, who arrived in Syria earlier on Tuesday to hold talks with Assad.

Sources told Xinhua that among their topics is the rescuing of the 48 Iranian pilgrims who were snatched by armed rebels in the Syrian capital of Damascus on Saturday.

Meanwhile, SANA said Jalili noted that what Syria is going through is not an internal case but a conflict between the axis of resistance and the regional and international enemies, stressing that Iran will not allow the breaking of the resistance axis "which Syria is part of."

For his side, President Assad reiterated his administration's resolution to fight "terrorism" and purge the country of "terrorists" without wavering, stressing at the same time that Syria is carrying on with the national dialogue project as well as faltering the external projects that aim to break the resistance axis, according to SANA.

SANA said that Jalili also held a meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem, during which the two sides stressed their determination to keep cooperating on the highest level to confront attempts of foreign intervention in Syria.

Iran has been the most important regional ally to the Syrian administration in the 17-months-old crisis. The Iranians and the Shiite people have been recently targeted in Syria by the Sunni-dominated opposition fighters, who believe that Iran is backing the Assad leadership.?