UN peacekeepers in Syria favorable to NATO states: Expert

Press TV has interviewed James Petras, a Middle East expert in New Jersey, to discuss the remarks made by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, saying that bringing UN peacekeepers into the country is both “illogical and impossible.”

The following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: I am wondering, how do you feel firstly about the Syrian president and his talk of UN peacekeepers in Syria as illogical and impossible?

Petras: I think the president of Syria, Bashar al-Assad, is very wise in rejecting so-called peacekeepers because the formation of a peacemaking force is overwhelmingly favorable to the NATO countries and would act in a very prejudicial way of influencing the negotiations and providing a sanctuary for the rabid opposition forces.

I think President Assad has made a very reasonable offer which would involve essentially a free election in which the opposition should participate in the elections and as a result of the voting results, they should form a coalition government depending on the representation of both the opposition and the Bashar al-Assad government.

So far, the opposition has rejected in any free proportional election result. They are looking toward a pretext to continue the war and undermine a diplomatic resolution. I think unless the United States moves ahead and accepts a free election and a free vote for the Syrian forces, I think the peace process will not result in a favorable resolution.

Press TV: President Assad there also mentioned Erdogan of Turkey and said that his army is fighting in Syria. How do you feel about that statement?

Petras: Well I think Turkey has been bombing Syria, it has been continuing to supply arms to the ISIS and the Daesh forces. Turkey is still bombing Iraq, it is engaging in warfare. Erdogan has lost his senses. He is acting as a belligerent warrior. He at no point has provided a diplomatic solution to the problems. I think Syria will have to continue its defensive policies and sooner or later the Russian and Syrian, Hezbollah and Iranian forces will have to take some decisive actions which will hinder Turkey from perpetuating intrusions into Syria and Iraq.

Press TV: And just briefly if you can, you mentioned elections there in your first answer but what do you feel about President Assad saying he is ready in fact for a snap presidential election, in a sense he is putting the Saudi-backed opposition into a corner, isn’t he?

Petras: Well it is very clear that the Syrian army is advancing, eliminating ISIS’s territorial control. I think they are rolling back ISIS. The Kurdish autonomous regions are defeating ISIS. I think they are in a very desperate situation and I think that sooner or later the alliance between the triple alliance of Iran, Syria and Hezbollah will eventually become absolute control over the territory which was previously in the hands of the ISIS.

I think the next target will be Aleppo and that will be the decisive defeat of the Daesh forces and will leave all the Turkey as the advocate for terrorist attacks on Syria.

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