Assad Aide Accuses West of Supporting 'Oppressive Arab Gulf Regimes'

The West has been targeting secular states in the Middle East and strengthening its ties with Gulf monarchies that have little regard for human rights, despite its pro-democracy rhetoric, a political adviser to Syrian President Bashar Assad said Wednesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Speaking at the Valdai International Discussion Club in Moscow, Shaaban, a female Syrian politician who served as minister of expatriates between 2003 and 2008, accused Gulf Arab states of being undemocratic, having no parliaments and constantly discriminating against women.

"We can see that Western powers have targeted republics in the Arab world, secular republics in the Arab world – Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Libya. If they want to speak about democracy why do they have the best relationship with the Gulf States that have no democracy whatsoever?" Assad’s aide Bouthaina Shaaban said.

The Syrian government has to fight terrorism and find political solution to the crisis in the country at the same time, working on several fronts, she said.

"The president called for a parliamentary election — the state has to continue functioning and to work for its people. We have to continue fighting terrorism, and to pursue every possibility to a political solution."

The presidential aide added that at the same time the state had to deal with the horrible destruction of the country. "We are working on more than one front," she stressed.