Syria's Assad: Some Syrian refugees 'definitely' terrorists
Image 1 of 3Turkish soldiers carry the national flag-draped coffin of Mehmet Şahin, 25, accidentally killed in a Russian airstrike around the northern Syrian town al Bab, during a memorial service before his remains' repatriation to his hometown, at the airport in Gaziantep, southeastern Turkey, Friday, Feb. 10, 2017. Sahin was among the three troops killed when a Russian warplane on Thursday accidentally hit a building in al-Bab, with Turkish soldiers inside. Russian President Vladimir Putin promptly called his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to express regrets over what the Russian leader called a "tragic incident." (Eyyup Burun/DHA-depo Photos via AP) (The Associated Press)
Image 2 of 3Turkish soldiers carry the national flag-draped coffin of Mehmet Şahin, 25, accidentally killed in a Russian airstrike around the northern Syrian town al Bab, during a memorial service before his remains' repatriation to his hometown, at the airport in Gaziantep, southeastern Turkey, Friday, Feb. 10, 2017. Sahin was among the three troops killed when a Russian warplane on Thursday accidentally hit a building in al-Bab, with Turkish soldiers inside. Russian President Vladimir Putin promptly called his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to express regrets over what the Russian leader called a "tragic incident." (Eyyup Burun/DHA-depo Photos via AP) (The Associated Press)
Image 3 of 3In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrian President Bashar Assad speaks during an interview with Yahoo News in Damascus, Syria, Friday, Feb. 10, 2017. Assad said, there are "definitely" terrorists among the millions of Syrians seeking refuge in the West. He said it doesn't have to be a "significant" number of terrorists because no need for a significant "number to commit atrocities." (SANA via AP) (The Associated Press)
DAMASCUS, Syria – Syria's President Bashar Assad says in an interview that there are "definitely" terrorists among the millions of Syrians seeking refuge in the West.
In an interview with Yahoo News, Assad says it doesn't have to be a "significant" number of terrorists. He says: "You don't need a significant number to commit atrocities." Excerpts of the interview were aired Thursday. The full interview is to run Friday.
Assad considers all armed opposition in the war that has beset Syria since 2011 as "terrorists."
Assad wouldn't comment on whether U.S. President Donald Trump was justified in issuing a ban on seven Muslim countries, including Syria. He calls it an "American sovereignty" issue.
His priority, Assad says, is to "bring those citizens to their country, not to help them emigrate."