Assad breaks silence after fleeing Syria, claims he never planned to abandon country

DW News | Assad breaks silence after fleeing Syria, claims he never planned to abandon country | More than a week after being deposed, Syria's ousted president Bashir al-Assad has broken his silence about his fall from power.

In a written statement posted on social media, Assad says he never planned to abandon his country, as rebels forces closed in on Damascus. He claims he initially moved to a Russian base in western Syria to continue fighting but says Russia evacuated him after the base came under attack. He also denounced Syria's new leaders as terrorists.