Syrian President Bashar Assad has promised to “take back every inch” of the country from the hands of ISIS and Western enemies, in a powerful speech on Tuesday. The Syrian leader rejected US calls for a transition of power, in his first major address since peace talks broke down in Geneva this April. Assad accused Turkey of sponsoring terrorist groups such as ISIS in order to attempt to remove him from power. Ibtimes.com reports: “Our war against terrorism is continuing,” Assad said in a speech to parliament broadcast by state TV, Reuters reported. “As we liberated Tadmur (Palmyra) and before it many areas, we will liberate every inch of Syria from their hands. Our only option is victory, otherwise Syria will not continue.” In recent months, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and other members of the International Syria Support Group have attempted to set a series of deadlines and limits that Syria cannot violate. The U.N. has attempted to send in humanitarian aid but has repeatedly been turned back by Syrian authorities because of the self-imposed siege over a large part of the country. “The speech was, unfortunately, vintage Assad — unrepentant and damaging to international efforts to end the [...]
