Assad's regime insists it should be part of anti-ISIS alliance

The Syrian regime must be part of the global anti-ISIS alliance led by the United States, a government spokesperson said Friday.

According to the Syrian News Agency the media advisor of Syria’s president Bashar Al-Assad, Buthaina Shaaban, said that Syria must be involved in efforts to confront ISIS as they are “a victim of terrorism.”

US President Barack Obama announced on Thursday his country’s strategy against ISIS, authorising for the first time aerial strikes against the group and dismissing the Assad regime as illegitimate and unreliable in fighting terrorism.

“Terrorism did not start today but four years ago,” Al-Assad’s spokeswoman said, referring to the popular revolt, which broke out against Assad in 2011.

“The victims of terrorism should be a key partner in fighting it”, she said.

Shaaban criticised Obama’s speech, saying it included many “gaps” and “has not provided anything new.”

She referred to UN Security Council resolution no. 2170 saying, “All parties that approved it are supposed to be allies in countering terror.”

She also criticised the US’ exclusion of Russia and China from the call to counter terror, which is “yet another gap” in Obama’s speech, in her opinion.

“Countries which were instrumental in backing, arming and funding terrorism in Syria have been key participants in yesterday’s meeting in Jeddah in the presence of Kerry,” she said. In Thursday’s meeting, ten states announced they would join the international anti-ISIS alliance.

Shaaban added that “the fact that Jedda’s meeting decided to train the terrorists after labelling them moderate opposition does not mean that those who carry arms against the people and the state in Syria are not criminals or terrorists.”

The Syrian minister of reconciliation Ali Haidar stated on Thursday that any attack on ISIS to be carried out in Syria without the approval of the regime will be considered an “aggression”. Meanwhile, Russia warned against any unilateral operations in Syria that would violate the sovereignty of Syria.