Syria's Al-Assad criticizes Western politics: relying on divide and conquer strategy

Shafaq News/ In a political-intellectual dialogue titled "The Global Majority," Abkhazian Foreign Minister Inal Ardzinba engaged in discussions with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad regarding critical topics such as national identity, sovereignty, and global power dynamics.

President al-Assad articulated his vision of the nexus between national identity and the conflicts instigated by Western powers in various regions worldwide. He stressed the vital role of preserving national identity, encompassing culture, values, and traditions, as a means to thwart external influences seeking to undermine sovereignty.

"The only way to defeat us is to destroy our national identity, "President al-Assad asserted, "the conflicts unleashed during the last ten years have to do with national identity that must be protected from external influences."

"All the conflicts unleashed during the last ten years have to do with national identity that must be protected from external influences." opined that "we could be friends of the West, but the West does not accept friends or partners, and only wants lackeys."

Addressing Western attitudes, President al-Assad criticized the West's preference for compliant allies over genuine partnerships. He highlighted the dichotomy between Western rhetoric on democracy and their intolerance towards dissent, portraying democracy as synonymous with unwavering obedience.

"They love to talk about democracy; however, they can't stand it when someone tells them 'No' because for them democracy is always saying 'Yes,'" President Al-Assad said.

Al-Assad asked about the possibility of re-engaging in dialogue with the West, "Hope always exists, even when we know that there may not be an immediate result. Politics is the art of the possible; we must engage with them regardless of our negative opinion of them and explain that we will not compromise our rights. We will only cooperate with them based on equality. Currently, America illegally occupies part of our lands, funds terrorism, and supports "Israel," which also occupies our lands. However, we meet with them from time to time, even though these meetings do not lead to anything tangible. But everything will change."

Concerning the situation in Gaza and the US involvement, the Syrian president said, "Western policy, especially American policy, is based on the principle of Divide And Conquer. This is their way of gaining control, a kind of extortion, and it's an unethical stance, but it's the reality."

"America turns any conflict into a chronic, dangerous disease like diabetes or cancer, and the parties in conflict are the ones who pay the price. When we say America, we mean the entire West, because the West is entirely dominated by the United States. America benefits from any conflict, then steps aside and begins to monitor the growing chaos, waiting for the right moment to strike decisively. For America, every conflict is profitable."

Discussing Russia's involvement in Syria, President al-Assad clarified that Russia's support extended beyond individual leaders or governments.

"Moscow did not support the Syrian president or the Syrian government because this is an incorrect interpretation, but rather it supported the Syrian people and protected the independence of Syria and therefore protected the international law, which until now still exists on paper."