Receiving information about US bombing of IS: Assad

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London, Feb 10 (IANS/EFE) Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said he receives messages from the US through third parties about the US-led coalition's bombing of the Islamic State terrorist group, the BBC reported Tuesday.

In an interview with the broadcaster, Assad, however, said his government did not want a dialogue with the US authorities about the IS because, "they (the US) don't talk to anyone, unless he's a puppet" referring to Arab leaders who support the attacks.

But the Syrian president admitted that his government had been receiving information indirectly through third parties, such as Iraq, on the activities of the coalition and its Arab members.

"Sometimes they convey a message, a general message, but there's nothing tactical," Assad insisted in the interview. "There is no dialogue. There's, let's say, information, but not dialogue."

He also denied any possibility of joining the coalition to fight the IS in Syria.

"No, definitely we cannot and we don't have the will and we don't want to, for one simple reason -- because we cannot be in an alliance with countries which support terrorism," Assad said, referring to coalition members which support Syrian opposition to his regime.

The president also denied that government forces have been indiscriminately dropping barrel bombs on rebel areas, killing thousands of civilians.

"We have bombs, missiles and bullets. There (are) no barrel bombs, we don't have barrels," Assad claimed.

"There are no indiscriminate weapons. When you shoot you aim, and when you shoot, when you aim, you aim at terrorists in order to protect civilians. You cannot have war without casualties," he added.

Humanitarian organisations have documented and denounced the use of barrel bombs which are oil drums or similar containers packed with explosives and shrapnel designed as crude anti-personnel weapons.

They are usually dropped from helicopters and are highly inaccurate.

Over 170,000 people have died since the Syrian civil war began with anti-government protests in March 2011 as part of the so-called "Arab Spring" roiling the region.

One-third of the fatalities are said to be civilians.

--IANS/EFE

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