Syrian president accuses U.S. of using dollar to commit global "robbery"

DAMASCUS, June 9 (Xinhua) -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has accused the United States of using the U.S. dollar to commit robbery on a global scale, Syria's state-run SANA news agency reported on Thursday.

In an interview with Russia Today, whose content was released by SANA, Assad said that if the dollar continues to govern the world economy, "nothing will change."

"Using the dollar is not blackmail, it is robbery," Assad said when talking about how the U.S. uses the dollar to control the world and impose sanctions.

"As long as the dollar is a global currency and continues to be settled through U.S. banks or what is called the American Federal Reserve, you are under the authority of this dollar; and therefore your future as a state, a country, or society, as an economy is under the mercy of the United States," Assad said.

Aside from the U.S. sanctions, Assad also spoke about the oil fields taken by the U.S.-backed Kurdish militia in northern and northeastern Syria, making it clear that Syria would eventually reclaim its resources.

The Syrian president also slammed Turkey's threat to create a safe zone in northern Syria and the U.S. presence in eastern Syria, vowing that his administration will not hesitate to protect Syria's sovereignty.