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| Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi speaks during a press conference in Damascus, capital of Syria, on Sept. 3, 2012. Omran al-Zoubi said Monday that Syria's sovereignty is a "red line," and that the situation in Syria in general is good and under control. (Xinhua/Hazim) |
DAMASCUS, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi said Monday that Syria's sovereignty is a "red line," and that the situation in Syria in general is good and under control.
At a press conference here on Monday, al-Zoubi said that his country will make a response to any assault, and will "cut the hand of whomsoever" touches the sovereignty of Syria, stressing that "he will pay a steep price."
The Syrian army is committed to restoring peace and stability in all the areas in Syria and this is "non-negotiable," the minister said, adding that there will be no dialogue with the presence of weapons in the hands of the "terrorists," since the main condition of the dialogue is the existence of security and stability.
Al-Zoubi then called on the opposition forces to make a national assessment and brace itself for a national dialogue.
"We will accept what the ballot boxes say and we say to everyone to lay down your weapons and let us embark on a national dialogue and resort to the ballot boxes," al-Zoubi said.
He added that Syria has accepted all the initiatives that have came as a result of the Non-Aligned Movement summit held recently in Tehran.
"The solution in Syria is a Syrian one and its tools are also Syrian," he emphasized.
Al-Zoubi lashed back at Turkey, branding as "absurd" the comments of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan that the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has lost legitimacy. He meanwhile said the Erdogan government is giving weapons, sending fighters, and harboring the terrorists.
"Our situation in Syria in terms of the state, the leadership, the citizens, the army and the facilities is good and there will be nothing other than that," al-Zoubi said at the same press conference.
Commenting on the recent threats by the armed insurgents, who said they will target the civilian airports in the capital Damascus, and northern Aleppo province, al-Zoubi said "their aim is to inject fear and terror among the citizens."
"We haven't heard from those who call themselves rebels or the broad-based opposition any political line or speech," the minister said.
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