Syrian president accuses the West of hypocrisy in TV interview

Syrian leader lambasts Western nations for double standards.

Syrian President Bashar Al Assad speaks during an interview with Australia's SBS news channel, in Damascus, Syria and broadcast on July 1, 2016. Sana via Associated Press

SYDNEY // Syria’s president Bashar Al Assad has accused Western nations of double standards, saying they criticise him in public but collaborate with him in private.

In an interview with Australian television, that was broadcast on Friday, Mr Al Assad said the West was all too ready to do “under the table” deals with him while outwardly condemning him.

“This is the double standard of the West in general, “ he told Australia’s SBS news channel. “They attack us politically and they send us their officials to deal with us under the table, especially the security, including your government. They all do the same. They don’t want to upset the United States. Actually, most of the Western officials, they only repeat what the United States wants them to say. This is the reality.”

President Barack Obama is opposed to armed intervention in Syria’s civil war, which has left at least 250,000 people dead and contributed to a global refugee crisis. Though he blamed Assad for using chemical weapons in 2013 and threatened military strikes against Syrian forces, he has thus far only authorised strikes against ISIL and other movements designated by the US as terrorist groups operating in Syria.

The Syrian president said that while he had no direct dialogue with the US, there was indirect communication between the countries through back channels, including businessmen travelling around the world and meeting with officials in he US and Europe.

“But there’s nothing serious, because we don’t think the American administration is serious about solving the problem in Syria.” he said.

Though he was not opposed to working with the US, he also criticised the American government for creating problems but not solving them.

“[Former President George W.] Bush invaded Iraq; in a few weeks, he could occupy Iraq. But then what’s next? It’s not about occupying. This is a great power. We’re not a great power,” said Mr Assad. “So, it’s not about America occupying Syria. What’s next? What do they want to achieve? They haven’t achieved anything. They have failed in Libya, in Iraq, in Yemen, in Syria, everywhere. They only created chaos. So if the United States wants to create more chaos, it can ... but can they solve the problem? No.”

Mr Al Assad said he was not concerned about a recent internal memo from more than 50 US. State Department officials urging US. military action against Syria’s government. The diplomats who signed the “dissent channel cable” said that targeted. attacks by the US could put pressure on Mr Al Assad in diplomatic negotiations that have all ended in failure so far.

“Warmongers in every American administration always exist,” he said, “It’s not something new.”

He also had scornful words for British politicians for allowing the referendum on European Union membership. The resulting vote to leave showed how “disconnected from reality” the politicians were and he pointed to his own success in holding on to power throughout the five-year civil war in his country despite armed opposition from ISIL and others within Syria, and many calls from Western powers, including Britain, for him to quit.

“Those officials who used to give me the advice about how to deal with the crisis in Syria, and say ‘Assad must go’ and ‘He’s disconnected’ (have been) proved to be disconnected from reality,” said Mr Al Assad. “Otherwise they wouldn’t have asked for this referendum ... I would call them sometimes second-tier politicians.”

Britain and other Western government have accused the Syrian president and his supporters of committing atrocities against their own people. At least 250,000 have died, more than 6.6m Syrians have been displaced within the country and 4.8 have fled, many to seek refuge in Europe.

Asked about how a new British government resulting from the Brexit vote might affect Syria, Mr Al Assad said it might have “a different policy that will affect us positively.” but added, “I don’t have now a lot of hope about this.” But I don’t have now a lot of hope about this.”

* Associated Press