President Basahar al-Assad slammed Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey for supporting armed groups fighting in Syria, as he insisted that these militants would not win the battle.

President Basahar al-Assad slammed Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey for supporting armed groups fighting in Syria, as he insisted that these militants would not win the battle.

"They suddenly saw money in their hands after a long period of poverty and think they can buy history and play a regional role," Assad told Al-Ahram al-Arabi, which put excerpts from the interview on its website on Thursday.

"The widespread idea that Saudi Arabia, Syria and Egypt are the cornerstone of stability in the region is false. It has always been, and will remain, Syria, Iraq and Egypt," said President Assad.
He said that before the conflict, Riyadh served only as a "mediator with the West that does not appreciate the axis of resistance against Zionism advocated by Syria."

The Syrian leader said Qatar "uses the power of money and revolves in the orbit of the West by providing weapons and money to terrorists to repeat the scenario of Libya."
"The Qataris were the quickest to fuel the violence," he said.

President Assad also criticized Turkey, saying it was unconcerned "about the interests of its people, focusing solely on its ambitions that include 'the new Ottoman empire'," he said.

He reiterated that "armed men were using terrorism against the Syrian state," but that they "have no support among the people. Ultimately they will not emerge victorious."
"It will take time" for regime forces to win, he said, adding that the "door to dialogue is open -- only talks with the opposition will solve the crisis."