Assad: US ‘Not Serious’ About Beating ISIS

Syrian President Bashar Assad bashed the U.S. for its approach to fighting terrorism, saying that it is “not serious” about defeating ISIS.

“The reality is telling that, since the beginning of the American airstrikes, the terrorism has been expanding and prevailing,” Assad told NBC News on July 13 from his office in Damascus, Syria. “It only shrinked when the Russians intervened.”

The Syrian president praised Russian President Vladimir Putin for sending his forces to step in when Syrian troops were near defeat in September 2015. The Russians have since made significant advances, with important victories, including retaking the city of Palmyra from ISIS control.

“The Russian support of the Syrian army has tipped the scales against the terrorists,” he said. “It was the crucial factor.”

The Syrian army has advanced so much in recent times, Assad said, that “it won’t take more than a few months” to crush ISIS completely.

Meanwhile, Assad said that the U.S. is “not serious” about beating terrorism, saying its priorities are not conducive to defeating the real enemy.

“We wanted to defeat those terrorists, while the U.S. wanted to manage those groups in order to topple the government in Syria,” the controversial leader added.

When civil war broke out in Syria, the U.S. called to oust Assad due to his use of chemical weapons on the Syrian people. Although U.S. President Barack Obama promised to provide military assistance to Assad’s opposition, saying that he crossed a “red line” and would need to go. Years later, Assad remains in power.

“[Obama] failed, but that doesn’t mean I win because for him the war is to remove me … for me the war is to restore Syria,” Assad said. “If we can get rid of those terrorists, if we can restore the stability in Syria, this is where we win. Otherwise, you cannot talk about winning.”

The interview comes just after Obama sent a proposal to Russia to work together in coordinate air attacks on those determined to be terrorists, notes The Washington Post. The move would also dedicate more American military power toward fighting Jabhat al-Nusra, a radical group working to topple Assad.

Sources: NBC News, The Washington Post / Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons