Assad ‘very confident’ and defiant

LEBANON: Syrian troops and their Hezbollah allies tightened the noose on the last rebel-held parts of the strategic central town of Qusayr on Friday, after President Bashar al-Assad said he was “very confident” of victory.

Assad also threatened Israel with retaliation for any attack in the interview aired late on Thursday. There was no immediate comment from Israeli officials.

In Istanbul, the deeply divided opposition announced agreement in the early hours on expanding its membership to include more representatives of fighters and activists on the ground following accusations it was out of touch.

But despite extending its talks for five days longer than scheduled, the National Coalition put off until June the election of a new leader and the formation of the interim rebel government demanded by the Arab League as a condition for giving it Syria's vacant seat in the bloc.

Assad, whose forces are battling alongside Hezbollah fighters to recapture Qusayr, said he was “very confident” of victory.

“There is a world war being waged against Syria and the policy of (anti-Israeli) resistance... (but) we are very confident of victory,” he said in the interview with the Lebanese militant group's Al-Manar television.

Syrian state television said troops and Hezbollah fighters had captured the Arjun district in the north of Qusayr on Thursday, leaving rebels holed up in the town little chance to escape.

The town is a strategic prize as it controls supply routes vital to both sides.

Lebanese Prime Minister Tamman Salam said his country should stay out of the Syrian conflict, in an interview published in Friday's edition of French daily Le Figaro.

“We must at all price preserve national unity,” he added. “And obviously, Hezbollah's military involvement is not helping matters.”

Assad threatened Israel with renewed fighting on the Golan Heights where a UN-patrolled armistice line has separated the two armies since Israel captured much of the strategic plateau in the 1967 Middle East war. “There is clear popular pressure to open a new front of resistance in the Golan,” he said.

“There are several factors, including repeated Israeli aggression,” he added, referring to reported Israeli air strikes on Syria.

“We have informed all the parties who have contacted us that we will respond to any Israeli aggression next time.” There was no immediate comment on Assad's remarks from Israel, which has said it does not want to provoke a military “escalation” with Syria, but will not allow it to transfer strategic arms to groups like Hezbollah.

Assad appeared to imply in the interview that Russia had already delivered some of the promised S-300 missiles that have sparked particular concern in Israel.

AFP