BEIRUT (TheBlaze/AP) — Syria’s president warned that Europe “will pay a price” if it delivers weapons to the rebels fighting him, saying in an interview published Monday that arming them would backfire as the “terrorists” return to their countries with extremist ideologies.
Assad further warned that as the conflict spills into neighboring countries, blurring borders, it will set off a domino effect.
“Nobody can imagine how the region would look like in case of a redrawing of the map. That will be a map for uncounted wars in the Middle East and possibly elsewhere, that nobody can stop,” he said.
Assad’s comments were his first since last week’s decision by President Barack Obama to authorize weapons and ammunition shipments to Syrian rebels, after confirming that Assad’s regime used chemical weapons against them.
The European Union has also allowed a weapons embargo against Syria to expire, allowing members of the 27-nation bloc to arm the rebels. France and Britain are moving in that direction, but the German government opposes such a move.
Assad’s interview with the German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Runschau appeared aimed at reinforcing German skepticism.
“If the Europeans ship weapons, Europe’s backyard becomes a terrorists’ place, and Europe will pay a price for it,” Assad threatened in Arabic comments translated into German.
Chaos in Syria would result in “the direct export of terrorism to Europe,” he warned. “Terrorists will return to Europe with fighting experience and extremist ideologies.”
The Blaze
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