Syrian President Bashar al-Assad rejects calls for ouster

In an interview that was aired live on state TV on Sunday, Syrian President Bashar Assad repeated promises of reforms and warned of repercussions should the West choose to intervene militarily in the uprising threatening his familys four-decade rule.He said that the Western countries are interfering in the internal matters of Syria that is an assault on Syrias sovereignty. He said the uprising could be controlled.When asked about the U.S.-led calls for his removal, Assad scoffed at what he described as the hypocrisy of these colonial states. He said the United States shouldnt lecture about human rights given the millions of civilian casualties from the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and, now, Libya.Assad said no amount of reform would ever be enough for the West because it seeks to create puppet rulers in the Middle East. He said the Syrian people, not the West, appointed him president, so he wasnt worried about the calls for his ouster.You can say this to a president whos made in America, or to someone waiting to receive instructions from abroad, Assad said with a smirk.He also dismissed the new U.S. sanctions against Syrias lucrative petroleum industry, saying that Syria has endured sanctions for years and that the country was moving toward the east, perhaps a nod to his staunchest backer, Iran. The international scene isnt closed anymore, Assad said.