Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said in an interview published Sunday that the war in Syria is not a civil war, but an international one.

AVA- Speaking in an interview with the Russian NTV, whose content was carried by state news agency SANA, Assad said the U.S. attempted to redraw the political, and "possibly" the military map of the world.
He said Syria was one of the main battlefields, at least in the Middle East, for the United States to draw the new map of the world, noting that talking with the United States is now of no avail and a mere "waste of time."
Assad noted that the international battle is between the forces, which support terrorism, and others who want peace.
"When you talk about interests, you find that this battle is between the (major) powers, between the United States and its Western allies, who support the terrorists to achieve their hegemony, and the Russian side and its allies, whose goal is to fight terrorism and restore international law," Assad said.
The president also said the military and political presence of Russia in Syria is important to achieve the international balance.
He said his country expects Russia to keep on fighting terrorism and preserve the international balance.
On the domestic level, Assad said the political solution for the Syrian crisis will be completely a Syrian one, adding that any constitutional reform in Syria should take place through a national referendum in accordance with the will of the Syrians.