(All quotes are transcribed from the original English)
BRUSSELS. Dec 17 (Interfax) - NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen is sure that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's rule is approaching a collapse and cannot survive.
"It's a basic part of human nature […] to have such a desire for freedom and better life opportunities. All autocrats of this world should realize that is how it is. Again, it leads to the conclusion that the regime in Damascus is approaching a collapse. It cannot survive, it's a matter of time," Rasmussen said in an interview with Interfax, which will also be published later in Novaya Gazeta.
"I think if this conflict continues, there is one certain loser, and that's the Syrian people. And this is first and foremost about the Syrian people," Rasmussen said.
"It's outrageous what we are witnessing. I strongly condemn the security forces crack down on the civilian population in Syria. In my opinion, there is no doubt that it's only a matter of time before the regime in Damascus collapses," he said.