Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Assad Pledges to Escalate Mil. Activity in Syria; Bloodshed Will Go on Until He Controls Nation

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad pledged today (June 7, 2016) that his government intends to escalate military efforts to crush the five-year-old uprising against his rule, emphasizing the bloodshed will not end until he has regained control over all areas of Syria lost to the rebellion, according to the Washington Post website.

His tough words came amid indications that Russia is preparing to reengage in the war in support of Assad, almost three months after it threw its support behind a U.S.-backed cease-fire and announced it was withdrawing most of its military from Syria.

The violence has already been ticking up, with government and Russian warplanes conducting air raids over northern Syria during the past week and rebels launching an offensive to recapture territory south of the city of Aleppo.

Assad's comments -- made in an address to the parliament in Damascus -- suggested that he and his Russian allies are preparing for a full-scale resumption of the war, with Aleppo as their first target. "As we liberated Tadmur [Palmyra] and before it many areas, we will liberate every inch of Syria from their hands," he said, referring to the ancient town in central Syria recaptured from the Islamic State (IS) militant group in March. "Our only option is victory; otherwise Syria will not survive."

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