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Syria's President Bashar Al Assad claims he is defending his country against terrorists.

Islamic State militants do now control large parts of Syria. But the more moderate opposition in the country say that is only because of the President's crackdown on them. That the armed forces crushed their peaceful protests and in doing so allowed jihadists like Al Qaeda and Islamic State to move in.

The 麻豆官网首页入口's middle east editor Jeremy Bowen went to speak to Mr Assad in the presidential palace in Damascus and suggested to him that he had given Syrians a false choice, between the government and the likes of Al Qaeda and Islamic State, by trying to eliminate the middle ground.

Listen to the full interview on the Best of Today podcast http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/today