Naeem Qasem:

America had to abandon policy of overthrowing Assad

RNA - Hezbollah’s deputy secretary general stressed that the United States was forced to abandon its policy of changing the system in Syria due to successive failures.

News ID: 432228

Date: 07 September 2017 - 12:53

Rasa - Hezbollah’s deputy secretary general, Sheikh Naeem Qassem, said that the United States was forced to abandon the policy of changing the system in Syria due to successive failures.

Hezbollah’s deputy secretary general, in an interview with Russia Today, said that so-called “jihadists” who Americans apparently hoped to play their role in Syria are now a major threat.

According to the report, the private interview by RT’s Isa Ali, the interview with the high-ranking Hezbollah official has been conducted in an unknown location in Lebanon.

Sheikh Naeem Qassem told RT that the US president Donald Trump has now come up with a less aggressive approach to Syria after repeated failed attempts overthrow the Syrian government.

America has no choice but to fight ISIS

Hezbollah deputy secretary general stressed that "when their Americans’ policy failed in choosing between the military option or the option of using local oppositions, and even the use of the option of cooperation with the Arab states of the region who were seeking the overthrow of the Syrian government in favor of Israel, Washington took a new policy with regard to Assad’s regime because they were no longer able to do anything more than that, and, of course, knew that [ISIL] was a threat to themselves than to act against the Syrian people."

He noted that “although the change made in the political strategy does not mean that the White House has changed its view of Assad, it can be concluded that America has no choice but to fight the ISIL devil, whom first was created by themselves and now has risen against themselves.”

Sheikh Naeem Qassem spoke about Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Hezbollah view of his role as the Syrian leader, saying Hezbollah considers Assad the legitimate ruler of Syria, elected by the people of the country as President.

The fate of Bashar al-Assad is in the hands of the Syrian people

Stating that America's main interest in Syria was "to remove Bashar al-Assad from power and change Syria's policy of resistance to friendship with US and Israeli."

He praised the Syrian president as an effective leader who guided his country at difficult times of war, adding that the fate of the Syrian president is in the hands of the Syrians in particular.

Hezbollah's deputy secretary general emphasized: "We support the election of the Syrian people and we will respect this choice when the time comes for elections and the people will declare their choices without external interference".

The high-ranking Hezbollah official in Lebanon continued, "There is an effective cooperation between the Russian, Iran and Hezbollah and Syrian armed forces, which has been widely involved in the liberation of significant parts of Syria's territory from terrorists."

Israel has contributed to the destruction of Syria

"Israel has played an important role in destroying Syria and is a major supporter of armed opposition, especially in the southern part of Syria," Sheikh Naim Qassim said later.

He further noted that more than three thousand militants currently fighting in Syria with government forces have been treated at Israeli hospitals. Along with these, there are reports of supplies of ammunition and food from Israel.

Sheikh Naim Qassem continued that the cease-fire agreement between Russia and the United States on the southern and western parts of Syria was a blow to the Israeli intentions because he did not remove Hezbollah from its positions in the border areas.

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