Presidential Political and Media Advisor Dr. Bouthaina Shaaban said that the U.S. President Barack Obama’s speech on his counterterrorism strategy was full of holes and contained nothing new.
In an interview given to the Syrian TV on Thursday, Shaaban said that the Security Council resolution no. 2170 was approved unanimously so all parts involved in it must be part of counterterrorism efforts, yet the U.S excluded Russia and China from its call for combating terrorism.
She said that the aforementioned resolution mentioned both the Islamic State or Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist organizations, while the U.S. only talks of ISIS and overlooks Jabhat al-Nusra, adding that any force, no matter how strong, cannot fight terrorism from overseas or with planes, because this force must get in touch with the victims of terrorism.
Shaabam pointed out that terrorism in Syria didn’t begin only now; it began four years ago, and its victim and the side affected by it must be a main component in combating it, noting that there are cracks in the alliance Obama speaks as certain countries refused to take part in all its requirements.
She noted that the West’s history shows that it’s capable of making mistakes in the regions that manifest years later, saying that she believes that matters will be addressed in a calmer manner than appearances now may suggest.
On the meeting held in Jeddah on Thursday with the participation of the U.S. alongside Turkey and Arab Gulf countries who played a main role in arming, funding, and supporting terrorism in Syria, Shaaban said that the meeting’s decision to train terrorist in Syria who were labeled “moderate opposition” doesn’t mean that those who bear arms against the Syrian people and state aren’t criminals or terrorists.
She stressed that terrorism in Syria was there before ISIS surfaced, and that the ones those who met in Jeddah want to train are no different from ISIS terrorists; therefore that meeting is an attempt to support terrorism, not combat it.
On the meeting between President Bashar al-Assad and the UN Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura, Shaaban said the meeting was positive and constructive, with talks focusing on the essence of the issues that need to be addressed in order to reach a solution for the crisis in Syria and combat terrorism.
She noted that de Mistura is trying to see the crisis through the eyes of the Syrian government and understand its suggestions for resolving it, noting that he was keen on visiting Damascus and listening to President al-Assad before beginning his tour of the region and addressing the UN General Assembly.
Shaaban said that the world is currently going into labor, with various discussions and dialogues taking place to try and understand the current situation and where each side stands, stressing the need to consider matters carefully and away from the exaggeration employed by some media outlets.