Syria's Assad Rejects Resignation Amid Fight With Islamists
- Syria, U.S.-led coalition are fighting common enemy, he says
- Kerry says Russian arms aid to Assad risks extending conflict
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Syrian President Bashar al-Assad rejected calls to step down and criticized the U.S. and its European and Arab allies for not coordinating with him on the fight against Islamic State as hundreds of thousands of refugees flee the civil war in his country.
“The president comes to power with the consent of the people, through elections, and he leaves at the request of the people, not by a decision of the U.S., the UN Security Council, the Geneva Conference or the Geneva Communique,” Assad said in an interview with Russian media, according to state-run RIA Novosti. “That’s my principle position.”