In an interview with Australia’s SBS news channel, Syrian President Bashar Assad has accused the west of hypocrisy, alleging that the western leaders criticize him publicly while working with him behind the scenes. He also alleged that there was no direct communication with the US, though numerous ‘back channels’ existed to do ‘deals.’
“All those who critical of my regime have been quietly sending security officials to collaborate with my government, this is the double standard of the West in general” Mr. Assad said in an interview on Friday.
“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,” he said.
Even though American President Barack Obama is opposed to armed intervention in Syria’s civil war, and he blames Mr. Assad for using chemical weapons in 2013. He has only authorized strikes against the Islamic State movement and other U.S.-designated terror groups in Syria.
Talking about the ‘back channels,’ he said that there was indirect communication between the countries through “businessmen going (and) travelling around the world and meeting with the officials in the United States and in Europe.”
Launching an attack on America, he said, “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,” Mr. Assad said. He also warned America to not create problems that it couldn’t solve, as Syria was ‘none of their concern.’
