Damascus, SANA – 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.