Assad says talks of buffer zone 'unrealistic'

DAMASCUS - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says that talks about imposing buffer zones in Syria is "unrealistic" and "doesn't exist virtually," the pro-government Addounia TV reported Wednesday.

Assad's remarks have come during an interview with the pro- government Addounia TV, and the entire interview will be aired at 9:00 pm Wednesday.

"I think the talks about buffer zones are firstly non-existent virtually and secondly unrealistic even for the countries that are playing the role of the hostile or the adversary," he said.

Assad's remarks also came after France and the US were mulling imposing a partial no-fly zone on Syria, while Turkey was urging the United Nations to create buffer zones in Syria to protect the refugees.

French defense minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has recently cautioned that closing Syria's airspace entirely would be tantamount to "going to war" but he urged the international community to consider backing a no-fly zone over parts of Arab nation's state.

He further said that Syria is fighting a regional and global war.

Meanwhile, Assad said the situation on Syria is "practically better" and the military settlement "needs time", adding the military and security forces are carrying on "heroic acts in every sense of the word."

Commenting on the recent defections from his regime, Assad downplayed their importance, saying such defections "cleanse" the state and the regime troops, such as suburbs of the capital Damascus, Nawa and Khirbet Ghazaleh in southern Daraa province, Taftanas in the northwestern province of Idlib and al-Rastan in central Homs province.

The violence in Syria seems on the rise despite the flurry of diplomatic efforts to bring a peaceful end to the 18-month-old crisis.