Syrian President Bashar al-Assad renewed his accusation that Western states including France are supporting “terrorist” groups in his country’s conflict, at a meeting on Wednesday with a French parliamentary delegation.
“Several countries in the region and the West, including France, are continuing up until now to support terrorism by giving political cover to terrorist groups in Syria and the region,” he told three visiting rightwing legislators, quoted by state news agency SANA.
Assad said terrorism was “the main cause of the suffering of the Syrian people… along with the embargo imposed on Syria”, warning that it was “an international phenomenon which no border can prevent from spreading”.