By Abdullah Al Ghadawi; Translation by Rana Abdul
(Zaman Al Wasl)- Adib al-Shishakli, the representative of the Syrian National Coalition in the Gulf Cooperation Council and member of the Riyadh conference, said Russia is seeking to invest what is left of the time of the current American President, dismissing the idea of the American administration making a positive move for the Syrian people.
Adib al-Shishakli in an interview with Zaman al-Wasl, held the American President Barack Obama’s administration responsible for the killing and destruction that the Syrian people have suffered these past years. He highlighted that the Obama administration is neither weak nor hesitant, but works according to a deep and studied strategy in the middle east.
He called for investing in the American election campaign to the advantage of the Syrian opposition, except that he clarified that this requires more financial support for the Syrian crisis to be present on the Hilary Clinton’s table. Al-Shishakli considers her one of the people closest to the Syrian opposition.
Z: Do you expect Barack Obama’s presidency to end with a positive initiative towards the Syrian crisis?
Shishakli: Of course we would wish for that, and for the Obama administration to offer a solution for the Syrian people, but in opinion the time is too short to make a move of this kind in light of the continued sever complications of the Syrian crisis. Usually in the United States, the final year of presidency is without effect on the level of foreign policy, as they say the present is like a crippled duck. As such with less than 6 months left for the Obama administration I do not expect such useful steps for the Syrian people.
Z: So the Russian hegemony will have the greater part in deciding matter in Syria?
Shishakli: Exactly, Russia is now the state with the most influence in the Syrian field more than the United States of America, and today we can say that Russia is the one able to gain from the Obama administration regarding the region generally and the Syrian affaires specifically. Especially in light of the American flexibility towards Russia. Also Russia cannot guarantee that the next administration will have the same characteristics to this administration which has been consistent to a large degree with the Russian politics in Syria… of the aspects of Russian gains in Syria is the current coordination against ISIS in al-Raqqah simultaneously with the American supported Iraqi campaign against Fallujah… as such the Russians will make gains and not America.
Z: So there is no hope from America in the remaining period?
Shishakli: With all certainty the Syrian people today who have suffered from the bad American politics in managing the Syrian file cannot reward Obama with a settlement with Russia in the American way. We have suffered a lot from this politics that is responsible for a large part of the killing and destruction in Syria and the region generally…. This American administration has for the past few years been harmful… and it is responsible for the migration to Europe and the killing of over 60 thousand persons in Syrian prisons.
Z: There is a repeated and general question… is the Obama administration actually weak or is it just hesitant?
Shishakli: I do not think there is hesitation or weakness in Obama’s policies. American politics is not nihilistic or arbitrary but all what has happened has been planned for with precision and care. And for example, the Syrian swamp was a gain for America that had invested in Iran’s financial involvement with concluding the nuclear deal. So it is not correct that the American president’s administration is a hesitant or helpless administration.
Z: Is there political or military American support for the opposition today?
Shishakli:Today there is no support from the American side in any shape. America has not helped the opposition in last period at any level and even in the Geneva talks there was no American support. Even the UN decision 2254, America has not pushed for the decision to be implemented.
Z: In light of this American withdrawal… do you expect Washington will allow al-Assad to be militarily decisive on the ground?
Shishakli: In the appearance of things, the American stance is with the Syrian opposition, but in the truth of the matter, the United States is not with the opposition and at the same time it is not with the regime. They will not allow the victory of the opposition or the regime, and they managing the conflict for regional and international gains.
Z: The American presidential campaigns are a good base to put forward the Syrian issue. How can we put forward the Syrian tragedy in this campaign?
Shishakli: Of course the American presidential campaigns are important and necessary and Syrians living in America and the opposition must look to this matter seriously, and work on it. Especially as Donald Trump has angered the Muslim side and Arab side, so as a natural result that Arabs and Muslims went to the Democratic side, and here we can put the Syrian tragedy in the traffic of the election campaign, but regarding how to do so let me indicate that sitting on the table with the candidate Clinton and explaining the Syrian crisis requires money, as the election campaign for each candidate gathers money and thus the presence of a Syrian lobby – the term is correct- requires financial assistance.
Z: Do you expect Hilary Clinton’s victory in the elections will be beneficial to the Syrian opposition?
Shishakli: Hilary Clinton during her work as secretary of foreign affairs was one of the persons closest to the Syrian situation and positive with the opposition, but she did not own the decision, and with Clinton arriving to the White House it can be useful for the opposition, but we cannot depend on this, we must depend on one thing only, the continuation of the revolution, we have depended much on the Americans and they have disappointed us.
(Zaman Al Wasl)- Adib al-Shishakli, the representative of the Syrian National Coalition in the Gulf Cooperation Council and member of the Riyadh conference, said Russia is seeking to invest what is left of the time of the current American President, dismissing the idea of the American administration making a positive move for the Syrian people.
Adib al-Shishakli in an interview with Zaman al-Wasl, held the American President Barack Obama’s administration responsible for the killing and destruction that the Syrian people have suffered these past years. He highlighted that the Obama administration is neither weak nor hesitant, but works according to a deep and studied strategy in the middle east.
He called for investing in the American election campaign to the advantage of the Syrian opposition, except that he clarified that this requires more financial support for the Syrian crisis to be present on the Hilary Clinton’s table. Al-Shishakli considers her one of the people closest to the Syrian opposition.
Z: Do you expect Barack Obama’s presidency to end with a positive initiative towards the Syrian crisis?
Shishakli: Of course we would wish for that, and for the Obama administration to offer a solution for the Syrian people, but in opinion the time is too short to make a move of this kind in light of the continued sever complications of the Syrian crisis. Usually in the United States, the final year of presidency is without effect on the level of foreign policy, as they say the present is like a crippled duck. As such with less than 6 months left for the Obama administration I do not expect such useful steps for the Syrian people.
Z: So the Russian hegemony will have the greater part in deciding matter in Syria?
Shishakli: Exactly, Russia is now the state with the most influence in the Syrian field more than the United States of America, and today we can say that Russia is the one able to gain from the Obama administration regarding the region generally and the Syrian affaires specifically. Especially in light of the American flexibility towards Russia. Also Russia cannot guarantee that the next administration will have the same characteristics to this administration which has been consistent to a large degree with the Russian politics in Syria… of the aspects of Russian gains in Syria is the current coordination against ISIS in al-Raqqah simultaneously with the American supported Iraqi campaign against Fallujah… as such the Russians will make gains and not America.
Z: So there is no hope from America in the remaining period?
Shishakli: With all certainty the Syrian people today who have suffered from the bad American politics in managing the Syrian file cannot reward Obama with a settlement with Russia in the American way. We have suffered a lot from this politics that is responsible for a large part of the killing and destruction in Syria and the region generally…. This American administration has for the past few years been harmful… and it is responsible for the migration to Europe and the killing of over 60 thousand persons in Syrian prisons.
Z: There is a repeated and general question… is the Obama administration actually weak or is it just hesitant?
Shishakli: I do not think there is hesitation or weakness in Obama’s policies. American politics is not nihilistic or arbitrary but all what has happened has been planned for with precision and care. And for example, the Syrian swamp was a gain for America that had invested in Iran’s financial involvement with concluding the nuclear deal. So it is not correct that the American president’s administration is a hesitant or helpless administration.
Z: Is there political or military American support for the opposition today?
Shishakli:Today there is no support from the American side in any shape. America has not helped the opposition in last period at any level and even in the Geneva talks there was no American support. Even the UN decision 2254, America has not pushed for the decision to be implemented.
Z: In light of this American withdrawal… do you expect Washington will allow al-Assad to be militarily decisive on the ground?
Shishakli: In the appearance of things, the American stance is with the Syrian opposition, but in the truth of the matter, the United States is not with the opposition and at the same time it is not with the regime. They will not allow the victory of the opposition or the regime, and they managing the conflict for regional and international gains.
Z: The American presidential campaigns are a good base to put forward the Syrian issue. How can we put forward the Syrian tragedy in this campaign?
Shishakli: Of course the American presidential campaigns are important and necessary and Syrians living in America and the opposition must look to this matter seriously, and work on it. Especially as Donald Trump has angered the Muslim side and Arab side, so as a natural result that Arabs and Muslims went to the Democratic side, and here we can put the Syrian tragedy in the traffic of the election campaign, but regarding how to do so let me indicate that sitting on the table with the candidate Clinton and explaining the Syrian crisis requires money, as the election campaign for each candidate gathers money and thus the presence of a Syrian lobby – the term is correct- requires financial assistance.
Z: Do you expect Hilary Clinton’s victory in the elections will be beneficial to the Syrian opposition?
Shishakli: Hilary Clinton during her work as secretary of foreign affairs was one of the persons closest to the Syrian situation and positive with the opposition, but she did not own the decision, and with Clinton arriving to the White House it can be useful for the opposition, but we cannot depend on this, we must depend on one thing only, the continuation of the revolution, we have depended much on the Americans and they have disappointed us.
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