TEHRAN (FNA)- Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator, says Washington desires that the war on Syria continues as an excuse to station its troops in Eastern Syria.
In an exclusive interview with FNA, Sahiounie made comments on US Syria policies, saying, “If the Syrian government takes control of Eastern Syria, they will announce victory and that will be a big loss to the American administration and its allies... . The Americans being in the East of Syria are being used as a political card to use in negotiation with [Syria’s allies] Russia and Iran.”
Steven Sahiounie is an independent Syrian-American political analyst and writer based in Lebanon. He has been covering the Middle East cruises since 2011 and has published several articles in numerous media outlets.
Below is the full text of the interview:
Q: Obama said no boots on the ground; Trump said it would withdraw the US forces; they both sounded like they want to put an end to the war on Syria. Why are American troops still in Syria?
A: The American administration is doing its best to keep the Syrian war going for many reasons. Firstly, to pressure the Syrian government and to keep in control Eastern Syria and the oil there, supporting the Kurds against the Syrians, and the Turks. Secondly, to pressure Russia; because if the Syrian government takes control of Eastern Syria, they will announce victory and that will be a big loss to the American administration and its allies. The Americans want to be in control of Eastern Syria, so they can stop Syria from recovery from the war, and so Syria and their allies, Iran and Russia, do not announce victory. The Americans being in the East of Syria are being used as a political card to use in negotiation with Russia and Iran.
Q: Trump, during his presidential campaigns, said Hillary Clinton helped Daesh. He accused Obama of being complicit in the war on Syria. But now, he himself calls on Russia and Syria to stop their attacks in the terrorists-held areas, including Idlib. Isn’t Trump complicit in the war on Syria, too?
A: The previous American administration, and the current administration have played a big role in the war in Syria, but the American foreign policy is not made in Washington DC, but in Israeli occupation, and by the prime minister of the Israeli occupation. Trump does not want the Syrian Army and the Russians to take over Idlib. They want to keep the situation in Syria in chaos and keep the Syrian Army and the Russians busy in the war against the terrorists in the North-West of Syria. The foreign policy of Trump and Obama is not so different because, as I said they do not make the decision of the American foreign policy. We know that Trump is not a politician but a businessman so he does not have experience in foreign policy and that is why he listens to John Bolton and Mike Pompeo, who act as if they are employees for the Israeli occupation.
Q: Saudi Arabia and Qatar paid and nurtured Daesh in Syria. They called Bashar al-Assad illegitimate. However, they recently invited the Syrian government to the Arab League and Arab Union summits. Why is the manner of Saudi Arabia and its allies toward Syria so complicated?
A: The Persian Gulf monarchs take their orders from the United States, when they are ordered to negotiate with the Syrian government, they have to go and sit with them. In the beginning of the war they were asked and ordered to fund, support and train the terrorists in Syria, and in the training camps in South Turkey and North Jordan, but to keep a door open to negotiation with the Syrians, Russians and Iranians. That is the reason why the monarchies of the [Persian] gulf need to invite Syria back to the Arab League, and to open their embassies in Damascus and as we can see slowly the media is not covering the Syrian war how they covered it in the beginning of the war and also we have seen many sources that report on negotiation between several Persian Gulf countries and Syria, either the Saudis and Damascus, or Oman and Damascus.
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