Presidential Political and Media Advisor Dr. Bouthaina Shaaban said that U.S. President Barack Obama’s speech on his counterterrorism strategy was full of holes and contained nothing new.
In an interview with Syrian TV on Thursday, Shaaban said that the Security Council resolution no. 2170 was approved unanimously, meaning all parts involved in it must be part of counterterrorism efforts, yet the U.S excluded Russia and China from its call to combat terrorism.
Shaaban said that the resolution mentioned both the Islamic State and the Nusra Front terrorist organizations, while the U.S. only talks of IS and overlooks Nusra. She added that any force, no matter how strong, cannot fight terrorism from overseas or with planes, because this force must be in touch with the victims of terrorism.
Shaaban pointed out that terrorism in Syria was not new, but said it began four years ago, and said that its victims and the sides most affected must be aat the forefront of combating it, noting that there are cracks in the alliance Obama speaks of as certain countries refused to take part in all its requirements.
Shaaban noted that the West’s history shows that it’s capable of making mistakes in the region that only manifest years later, saying that she believes that matters will be addressed in a calmer manner than appearances now may suggest.
Regarding 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 their decision to train terrorists 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 IS surfaced, and that the ones those who met in Jeddah want to train are no different from IS terrorists. Therefore that meeting is an attempt to support terrorism, not combat it, she concluded.
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