Tyrant Assad breaks silence for the FIRST time since fleeing Syria and insists Putin forced him into cowardly escape

6 months ago 7

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BASHAR al-Assad has broken his silence and claims Vladimir Putin forced his cowardly escape from Syria on him.

The ousted leader said that he had no intention of fleeing the country but had to after the Russian base he was staying in was being bombed.

Bashar al-Assad and Vladimir Putin meeting in Moscow.

Bashar al-Assad says Vladimir Putin forced his escape from Syria on him[/caption]

An opposition fighter stands on a destroyed bust of Hafez al-Assad.

An opposition fighter steps on a broken bust of the late Syrian President Hafez Assad[/caption] Map illustrating Assad's escape route from Syria to Russia.

Map illustrating Assad's escape route from Syria to Russia.

The statement was published on the Syrian presidency’s Telegram channel and dated December 16 from Moscow and was Assad’s first in public since he was toppled more than a week ago by a rebel offensive.

Assad said he stayed in Damascus until the early hours of Sunday December 8 until “terrorist forces infiltrated Damascus”.

He then claims he moved to the Russian air base in Lattakia, named Kheimim, to oversee the fighting of the rebels.

But just house later the base itself came under drone strikes

Assad said: “Upon arrival at the Kheimim airbase that morning, it became clear that our forces had completely withdrawn from all battle lines and that the last army positions had fallen.

“At no point during these events did I consider stepping down or seeking refuge, nor was such a proposal made by an individual party.”