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Syria’s Assad praises Trump, says “shows great promise”

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putin assad trumpBy By Callum Paton
Embattled Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad has said US President Donald Trump shows great promise, particularly in his statements on radical Islamist terrorism and his desire to fight the Islamic State (Isis) in Syria.

The Syrian ruler in Damascus was quoted by the Syrian State News Agency SANA as saying Trump’s prioritisation of the fight against the Islamic State was an encouraging sign. One in a flurry of executive orders signed by the US president has included empowering defence officials to create a plan in the next 30 days.

“I believe this is promising but we have to wait and it’s too early to expect anything practical,” Assad said.

The Syrian president’s praise of Trump comes despite a controversial order by the US leader banning travel to America from seven majority Muslim nations including Syria.

Iran and Iraq, also included in the ban, have been deeply critical of the move.

The ban, which caused chaos in the US was blocked by a federal judge, inspiring the wrath of Trump. He has said the blame for any terror attack carried out by an immigrant from one of the countries would be laid at the door of the Seattle-based judge James Robart.

In a recent tweet Trump said of the ban: “The threat from radical Islamic terrorism is very real, just look at what is happening in Europe and the Middle-East. Courts must act fast!”

Trump’s position with regard to Russia, the Syrian government’s principal backer, will also appeal to the Assad regime. Throughout the election campaign Trump praised Russian policy in Syria. In an interview with FOX news’ Bill O’Reilly when asked if he thought Putin was a killer – following alleged human rights abuses by Russian forces in Syria – Trump replied that the US was also not so innocent.

Where Putin and Trump diverge over the war in Syria is the issue of Iran, also one of the Assad regime’s principal backers. In its first weeks in office the Trump administration has restarted sanctions with the Islamic Republic, which had enjoyed a period of relative rapprochement with the US under Barack Obama.

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4 responses to “Syria’s Assad praises Trump, says “shows great promise””

  1. vs Avatar
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    (What forces are fighting for power in modern Libya) In
    early February, about 70 wounded soldiers of the Libyan National Army
    rebel General Khalifa Haftar, according to Western agencies, flew to
    Moscow for medical treatment. All
    of them were wounded in the recent fighting: Haftorah army based in the
    east of the country, is offensive to the south, ousting forces
    commanders from Misrata, loyal to the government, which supports the
    United Nations. About
    sluggish Libyan conflict have already managed to forget partially in
    the world, but he can at any moment turn back into a full-scale war. In fact, what is happening in the North African country, versed “to Lenta.ru.”
    Blinded from the fact that it was

    Another year and a half ago in Libya, there was no hint of a single power. In
    a country emerging from a civil war, there were two centers of power:
    elected in the general election the Parliament (House of
    Representatives), sitting in Tobruk in the east, and the General
    National Congress, with headquarters in Tripoli. In fact, the power on the ground belonged to the numerous orders, and groups adjacent to the one or the other side.

    In winter 2016, thanks to the titanic efforts of the UN envoys, the government of national consensus emerged in Libya (NTC). Its formation was the result of a long, painful negotiations and compromises between diverse groups and Libyan elites. The new government was quickly recognized by the international community. January 19 last year approved the composition of the new cabinet. Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General on Libya, the German Martin
    Kobler said with relief: “I congratulate the people of Libya, and a
    presidential council with the formation of national consensus
    government”.

    However,
    less than a week the Libyan parliament, instead of approve the
    composition of the NTC, voted against: the deputies considered that
    there are too many ministerial positions. As a result, the number of officials almost halved: from 32 portfolio
    remains 18. The Cabinet headed by Libyan businessman Faiz Saraj (Fayez
    Sarradsch).

    But the euphoria of what Libya has found a single power, experienced, it seems, only the emissaries of the United Nations. Libyans themselves are perfectly aware that in Saraj virtually no resources to control the country, actually falling apart.
    crazy quilt

    Instead of a full-fledged state Sarraj got a quilt. Not
    only that, will not delos confrontation between East centered in Tobruk
    and the west, with its capital in Tripoli, as are a number of major
    cities, including Sirte, at that time under the control of Russia banned
    terrorist group “Islamic state” (IS). And
    in the south of Libya, there were, according to Italian intelligence,
    and a half thousand different groups, tribes and groups that do not obey
    anyone at all. Under these conditions, Sarraj and his government as the air needed
    major victory, to demonstrate the power and ability to bring order to
    the country.

    Fighting against all at once would be suicide. As a result, we decided to attack Sirte, where Islamists entrenched even in 2015. The battle lasted for several months, in the city there was not a whole building. Finally,
    in early December last year, the Libyan authorities have reported that
    the terrorists IG from Sirte knocked out, the city released. The
    price of victory was huge by Libyan standards: the government forces
    lost more than 700 people were killed, about three thousand soldiers
    were injured. In addition, it became clear that the Libyans rejoiced early militants not far from the city are gone.

    January 19, American bombers B-2 attacked the IS positions around the city. During the past year came alarming reports that in Libya, Syria and Iraq are pulled together all the new IS reinforcements. To date, according to intelligence reports, in the vicinity of Sirte
    held numerous positions of militant groups, which may at any time move
    to the offensive.

    One
    way or another, but the victory in Sirte, NTC troops conquered loyal,
    added Saraj political points in a power struggle with the eastern center
    of power – parliament in Tobruk. There reigns Abdullah al-Thani, supported commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA) Marshal Haftarah. Last
    fall, part under his command captured four key oil terminal – the ports
    of Ras Lanuf, Es Sider, Marsa el Brega and Zuveytin on the
    Mediterranean coast of the Gulf of Sirte. Having mastered these ports through which exported more than half of
    Libya’s oil exports, Haftarah and gained control over the serious cash
    flow.
    Climbing Khalifa

    Field Marshal Haftarah – a remarkable personality. He was one of the closest associates of the murdered in 2011, Libyan leader Gaddafi Mummara, but they parted ways. After an unsuccessful operation in the Libyan-Chadian war in 1980 Haftarah was captured… http://lenta.ru/articles/2017/02/09/libyanewcolonel/

  2. vs Avatar
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    Syrian army attack on the IS position in Homs province hit on video http://twitter.com/SputnikInt/status/830059279285624832

  3. vs Avatar
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    Syrian troops backed by Russia killed 650 fighters near El Baba http://lenta.ru/news/2017/02/11/tadef/

  4. vs Avatar
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    On February 15-16 Astana will host the second round of Syrian talks

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