DAMASCUS, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has slammed all rumors that questioned his well-being or his current whereabouts, and stressed that he lives in Syria, not on a Russian warship or in Iran.
The president's comments were made during an interview with the Turkish Ulusal TV and Aydinlik newspaper, after the journalist asked him about recent circulated rumors.
Rumors have recently spread about an assassination attempt against the president, while others claimed that he lives atop a Russian warship or in Iran, his main regional ally.
While on the Arab League move to grant Syria's seat to the western-backed exiled opposition, Assad underscored the lack of legitimacy in the Arab bloc, saying the "Arab League itself needs legitimacy. It's a league that represents Arab states not Arab peoples and the states don't represent their peoples."
He said the AL can't grant legitimacy or strip someone from it, adding that the move was "symbolic" because legitimacy can't be given by organizations or groups.
The president stressed that the conflict in Syria "wasn't originally domestic, there is a local movement. But in general, the entire thing was external. A foreign conflict on Syria."
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