DAMASCUS (Sputnik) — The US-led international coalition against the Islamic State (ISIL) militant group has failed, and lacks impact on the ground, Syrian President Bashar Assad said.
"In fact, since this coalition started to operate, ISIS [ISIL] has been expanding. In other words, the coalition has failed and has no real impact on the ground," Assad said in an interview with Russian media.
Assad also added that the coalition could eradicate Islamic State militants if it wanted to do so.
The ISIL, which has been seizing large swathes of Iraq and Syria since 2014, has been making significant inroads in the Middle East despite the efforts of the US-led anti-ISIL coalition.
The coalition has been launching airstrikes against ISIL positions in Syria without approval of Damascus, as well as training moderate Syrian opposition, as it does not believe Assad to be legitimate government.
US-Led 2003 Iraq Invasion Gave Rise to Syrian Crisis
"You might be surprised if I tell that the crucial juncture in what happened in Syria is something that many people wouldn’t even think of. It was the Iraq war in 2003, when the United States invaded Iraq," Assad said in an interview with Russian media.
Syria strongly opposed that invasion, Assad said.
"Consequently, the beginning of the Syrian crisis, or what happened in the beginning, was the natural result of that war and the sectarian situation in Iraq, part of which moved to Syria," Assad added.
The United States and its coalition partners invaded Iraq in 2003. The military operation conducted by the coalition aimed to eliminate weapons of mass destruction believed by Washington to have been possessed by then-Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. No weapons were found.
In March 2003, a US-led coalition invaded Iraq, justifying the incursion by claims that Iraqi then-leader Saddam Hussein supported terrorism and possessed weapons of mass destruction. No substantial evidence was found to justify the US’ claims.
Syria is Ready to Cooperate With Any Country to Counter Terrorism
Syria is ready to cooperate with any country, including the United States and Turkey, in the fight against the Islamic State militants if these states are willing to counter terrorism, President Bashar Assad said.
"At the same time, countries like Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Western countries which provide cover for terrorism like France, the United States, or others, cannot fight terrorism. You cannot be with and against terrorism at the same time," Assad said in an interview with Russian media.
The Syrian president also noted that the US-led coalition against the Islamic State and the Syrian Army do not coordinate their attacks against the militants’ positions in any way.
"I can tell you that my answer will be not realistic, to say now, while we are fighting the same, let’s say enemy, while we’re attacking the same target in the same area without any coordination and at the same time without any conflict," Assad said.
The US is Displaying "Willful Blindness"
The US administration is displaying “willful blindness” when it refuses to cooperate with the Syrian armed forces in the battle against the Islamic State militant group, Syrian President Bashar Assad said.
“For them, maybe, if they deal or cooperate with the Syrian Army, this is like a recognition of our effectiveness in fighting ISIS [ISIL]. This is part of the willful blindness of the U.S. administration, unfortunately,” Assad said in an interview with Russian media.
The US-led international coalition has been launching airstrikes against the group’s positions since 2014 without seeking approval from Damascus. The coalition has also been training and arming the so-called moderate Syrian opposition.
