Why Syria Hasn't Given Up After Six Years of Conflict

Syria is fighting the prospect of becoming a colony again; efforts to subdue the independent country are being imposed on it in the most horrific manner, former Syrian Information Minister Mahdi Dakhlallah told Sputnik Arabic.

Before Syria's ongoing war, Western countries “were practically deprived of the opportunity to put pressure on the policy of Syria because the country had no external debts or obligations to the International Monetary Fund,” Dakhallah said.

Syria is a self-sufficient and independent country. “Now we can see the ugly scenario unfolding; a devastating war to turn the country into a colony. All possible ways are being used. Terrorism is being presented as an international [problem], an example of this was the attack on the Shayrat airfield by armed groups which are supported by the United States and its allies,” the former minister said.

He further said that the country’s best infrastructure is being systematically destroyed and an economic blockade and political isolation are being implemented.

Despite the difficult six-year war, however, the Syrian people are not giving up and are fighting against the invaders because their freedom is at stake.

He added that now there is talk about alternative ways of changing Syria. “However, it is worth remembering that they will always proceed from their colonial interests,” the former minister said.

On April 4, a chemical weapons incident in Syria's Idlib Province claimed the lives of some 80 people and inflicted harm on an additional 200 civilians. The Syrian National Coalition of Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, as well as a number of Western states, accused the Syrian government troops of carrying out the attack, while Damascus refuted these allegations.

The Syrian government has repeatedly said that the Syrian Army does not possess chemical weapons. According to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, a human rights watchdog, the destruction of the country's former chemical arsenal was completed in January, 2016.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on April 6 that groundless accusations related to the chemical weapons incident in Idlib Province were unacceptable until an investigation into the matter had been carried out.

However, the incident was used as pretext for the United States to conduct a missile strike against Ash Sha'irat Airbase on April 6. US President Donald Trump characterized the strike as a response to the alleged use of chemical weapons by Syrian government troops while Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the strike it was a violation of international law. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei described the US missile strike against the Syrian airfield as a strategic mistake.

Never miss a story again — sign up to our Telegram channel and we'll keep you up to speed!