Syrian President Bashar Assad yesterday said he would not comply with a U.S. demand to expel Hamas and Islamic Jihad leaders from Damascus. “These are not leaders. They are political spokesmen,” Assad said during a meeting with American editors. Assad added that he cannot expel the Hamas and Islamic Jihad men because they have nowhere to go. “They can only return to their home country, and if they do that Israel will imprison them. We don’t expel people. They should go back home.” the Syrian President said. Khaled Meshal, Hamas’ highest-ranking official, has lived in Damascus since 1999. Islamic Jihad leader Ramadan Abdullah Shallah moved to Syria in the 1990s. Full Story
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