Syria faces a “real war” waged by external forces, Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad said on Sunday in a speech to parliament broadcast by Syrian television.
Assad rejected media reports that the government troops were to blame for the Houla massacre a week ago when over 100 people, including dozens of children and women, were killed in a cluster of villages in Syria’s western Homs province, in what became one of the deadliest single events since the uprising against Assad began in March 2011.
Assad’s speech came a day after UN special envoy Kofi Annan said Syria was "at a turning point" and that "the specter of all-out civil war, with a worry sectarian dimension, grows by the day."
Assad said Syria was still open for a political dialog, adding, however, this dialog had failed so far to rid the country of terrorism.
“The political process is developing but simultaneously we see an escalation of terrorism,” the president said, adding the authorities would never seek any compromise with terrorists.
“There can be neither justification nor lenience for terrorism nor reconciliation with it or with those who support it,” Assad said, adding he was ready to forgive only those who would give up terrorism.
