US Chooses to Work With Al-Qaeda Over Russia on Syrian Issue

When it comes to supporting Islamic extremists in Syria to overthrow the government of Bashar al-Assad, the West is out of its mind, French political scientist Alexandre del Valle told Sputnik in an interview.

The fact that the United States now supports al-Qaeda in its fight against ISIL and al-Assad is a big mistake that will only cause more trouble for Washington in the future.

"To say that Bashar al-Assad is the bigger evil than ISIL is dangerous and to say that one can negotiate with other jihadists [al-Qaeda and so-called "moderate" Syrian rebels] is a big mistake… This strategy is insane," del Valle told Sputnik.

The West will pay a heavy price for following this Cold War strategy, when Washington and its allies support pretty much everyone who is against the allies of Russia and Iran, the present-day "bad guys." This strategy is foolish, dangerous and counterproductive, as it plays into the hands of ISIL, al-Qaeda and other Islamic extremists, the French geopolitical expert said.

Russia's involvement in the Syrian crisis is essential, as Moscow has always advocated for the creation of a broad coalition to fight against the Islamic militants.

"This idea is full of common sense, it's logical… the fact that Vladimir Putin is now addressing the problem [the Syrian conflict] is welcoming," del Valle said, noting that Russia offered the United States to catch Islamic militants in Afghanistan before the 9/11 took place.

The old Cold War mentality that portrays Russia as the "evil empire" must go. It's the United States and NATO that actively create the confrontation with Russia. Fortunately, Putin is smarter than that; he didn't get trapped in this Cold War style conflict with the West, instead Putin tries to crush Islamic extremism.

It's time for Europe to wake up and stop supporting ineffective and dangerous policies of the United States that do nothing but lead to more conflicts around the world, the expert concluded.