Syria/Iraq update 10/05/2020..Syria said Russia’s continued military presence in country is important to counter the West’s influence

Syria said Russia’s continued military presence in country is important to counter the West’s influence in the region.

Russia in Syria – 5 Years On

This morning, the Bradley fighting vehicles participated for the first time in the military patrols carried out by the American forces in Rumaila in the countryside of Hasakah, northeastern Syria. The patrol consisting of 7 military vehicles and 3 American Bradley vehicles, in addition to 4 other military armored vehicles, roamed the area near the US base and the oil fields in Kar Zero oil field and the gas field in Cratchock. Military helicopters accompanied the patrol. This is the first patrol in which the American infantry carrier “Bradley” takes part, after America’s decision to increase its forces in northern Syria.

IDPs arrive to Sere Kaniye Camp in Hasakah, Syria

Via Syria Insider.

Zvezda reporter: Mr President, let us talk about those who constantly violate and ignore international law, and you know who I am talking about. You are the elected President of the Syrian Arab Republic. You led the war on terrorism.

The law is on your side, and the people are behind you; nevertheless, we constantly hear some Western leaders making bad statements such as: “Assad must leave.” We remember very well how Barack Obama talked about this. Unfortunately, the same is being repeated now by Donald Trump. Recently, a book was published in the United States, Fear: Trump in the White House, by famous American journalist Bob Woodward, in which he states that in 2017, after the missile attack on Syria, Trump wanted to assassinate you, and I quote: “Let’s kill him! Let’s go in. Let’s kill the lot of them.” How do you comment on that? What did you do? Why do they demonize you?

President al-Assad: First of all, regarding the statements which always call for the removal of the president: The United States is used to having presidents – let’s say, as American agents, in the sense that it appoints them – and consequently it tells them: now you stay. And when their role comes to an end, it tells them: go. They are used to that. I am not one of those (presidents), and consequently, all the statements they make do not concern us at all. They do not bother us, and we do not care about them. This is an American discourse directed at the Americans themselves.

Zvezda reporter: Aren’t you vexed by the West’s disregard for its relationship with you, which can sometimes be rude?

President al-Assad: No, no, because it is less important than warranting one’s concern about it and I’ll tell you why.

If we look at Trump’s recent statements quoted in the book you mentioned, they are neither surprising nor new. The American policy since the Cold War, and ever since the end of World War II up until today, is a policy of hegemony, of coup d’états, of assassinations and wars. So, this is normal, Trump hasn’t said anything new.

On the contrary, we have to recognize that Trump has an important merit, which is exposing the American regime. For us, it was already exposed, but it was hiding behind some pretty masks – like democracy, human rights, and other similar things. Trump is frank. He says, “this is what we do.” So even if Trump doesn’t say it, we must know that it is part of their policy and part of their thinking.

The United States does not accept partners in the world and consequently does not accept independent states, including in the West. The West is a satellite of the United States, not its partner. They are not independent. The Americans do not accept an independent individual or an independent state. They do not even accept Russia, which is a superpower, to be independent. They do not accept you even in history; they even deny your role in eliminating Nazism, as if Russia had no role in that.

So, if they haven’t accepted Russia in the past, why would they accept it in the present? And if they haven’t accepted the large Russian state as independent, would they accept Syria, a smaller country, as an independent state? This is the problem with the Americans: they do not accept any individual who acts in the best interest of his country, any individual who respects himself or maintains an independent national decision. Zvezda reporter: Yes, this is another similarity between our two countries.

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