In an interview with the Daily Mail, President Bashar Assad of Syria accused the West of fueling the Syrian war in an attempt topple his government. He specifically said Britain, France and the United States continue to fuel the eight-year war in his country with the motive of deposing him. Assad also claimed the West and their allies continue to misrepresent him and paint him black by spreading lies that he uses chemical weapons on his own people, a charge he vehemently denies, as the Military Times reports.

“We are fighting the terrorists, and those terrorists are supported by the British government, the French government, the Americans and their puppets whether in Europe or in our region,” he said.

Assad boasted of having overwhelming public support in his own country, coupled with having political and military support from both Russia and Iran. In the Daily Mail interview, which took place in Damascus, Assad said the West would have succeeded in invading his country if not for the staunch support of Syrians as well as Russia, Iran and Lebanon among other Syrian allies.

“We are fighting them, and we have public support in Syria to fight those terrorists. That’s why we are advancing. We cannot make these advances just because we have Russian and Iranian support,” Assad added.

Assad Says the West Wants Regime Change

In the interview, the Syrian leader once again stated his long-held belief that the West is out to topple him because he was a thorn in their side and would not comply with Western policy in the Middle East.

“The whole approach toward Syria in the West is, ‘we have to change this government, we have to demonize this president, because they don’t suit our policies anymore.’” Assad said. “They tell lies, they talk about chemical weapons, they talk about the bad president killing the good people, freedom, peaceful demonstration.”

Last April, Western nations alleged that Assad ordered a chemical weapons attack on his own people. Western governments responded up by carrying out joint airstrikes in the country, even though the Assad administration denied ever using chemical weapons.

Assad wants U.S. troops out of Syria. Last May, he warned that if American troops do not pull out of Syria soon, then he might be forced to attack northeastern Syria which is occupied by Kurdish fighters backed by American troops.

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