Assad government going from strength to strength

The government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is becoming more powerful, despite the West’s support for terrorist groups in an attempt to destabilize Damascus, a senior Iranian lawmaker says.

“Despite all the measure taken by the US and its allies, particularly Turkey and Qatar to equip the terrorists in Syria, Bashar al-Assad’s government has become more powerful,” said Chairman of Iran’s Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee Alaeddin Boroujerdi on Sunday.

“Training and equipping the terrorists in Syria’s neighboring countries for conducting terrorist operations against the innocent people and government of Syria has strengthened al-Qaeda,” he added.

While al-Qaeda-linked groups have been listed as terrorist entities under sanctions by the United Nations, militants in Syria, including those belonging to the al-Nusra Front, which recently pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda, have been receiving all forms of support from the West.

The al-Nusra Front has been behind many of the deadly bombings targeting both civilians and government institutions across Syria since the beginning of violence in March 2011.

“The US policies in supporting terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda in Syria are entirely in contrast with its claims of fighting against terrorism,” Boroujerdi said.

Despite Washington’s claims that it merely provides nonlethal assistance to Syria’s opposition groups, media reports have indicated that the US trains foreign-sponsored militants in the crisis-hit country, in addition to coordinating arms shipments to them.