US Senator Meets Syrian President Assad, Calls on Support for Government

US Senator Meets Syrian President Assad, Calls on Support for Government
Thu Apr 28, 2016 21:01:22

A US state senator has held a meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, calling for more support for the Syrian government.

Speaking to reporters in the Syrian capital on Thursday, Dick Black, part-time state senator of Virginia, said it would be "beneficial" for Washington to speak directly to President Assad.

The remarks by Black, an outspoken Republican, contradict those made by US officials who claim that the Syrian president has lost legitimacy.

During his meeting with President Assad, the US senator emphasized that what is happening in Syria is far from disinformation practiced by some parties at the US administration.

The Syrian president, for his part, said terrorism knows no borders, adding that the fight against terror requires a joint international effort that is not limited to the military level and includes battling Wahhabism, which is widely promoted by Saudi clerics.

The US senator also held meetings with other Syrian government officials, where he stressed his resolve to advocate better Damascus-Washington ties.

"I will be Syria's voice," the official SANA Syrian news agency quoted Black as saying.

Prior to his trip, Black said in a letter that he was traveling to Syria "in an attempt to restore peace and prevent the slaughter of Christians and other minorities" in the conflict-ridden Arab country.

Meanwhile, an aide to Black said the senator resigned as the co-chair of senator Ted Cruz's presidential campaign in Virginia shortly before his Syria visit in order to "avoid any possible distraction" in connection with his trip.

On his Twitter account, Black stated that he supported Assad because he was stemming the growth of the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group.

“If Assad falls, Isis (Daesh) will secure Syria and march on Europe,” the tweet said.

Back in 2014, the state senator sent a letter to Assad praising him, Press TV reported.

S/SH 11

string(1935) "[{"id":"1800862","sort":"3536863","contenttypeid":"21","pic":"/2016/03/21/alalam_635941713933093024_25f_4x3.jpg","title":"Russia Warns US: Moscow May Use Military Force against Syria Ceasefire Violators"} ,{"id":"1801069","sort":"3536862","contenttypeid":"21","pic":"/2016/03/22/alalam_635942353952320530_25f_4x3.jpg","title":"Google Offered to Help US Overthrow Syria’s Assad: Clinton Email"} ,{"id":"1803272","sort":"3536861","contenttypeid":"21","pic":"/2016/03/29/alalam_635948532753686170_25f_4x3.jpg","title":"CIA Director Visited Russia to Talk on Syria Crisis: US Official"} ,{"id":"1804760","sort":"3536860","contenttypeid":"21","pic":"/2016/04/03/alalam_635952878897304935_25f_4x3.jpg","title":"Pentagon Training Extremist Militants in Syria: US Army Colonel"} ,{"id":"1807580","sort":"3536859","contenttypeid":"21","pic":"/2016/04/12/alalam_635960779261776031_25f_4x3.jpg","title":"Russian-US Contacts Help Reduce Number of Truce Violations in Syria: Russian DFM"} ,{"id":"1810680","sort":"3536858","contenttypeid":"21","pic":"/2016/04/21/alalam_635968743480338622_25f_4x3.jpg","title":"Russia Ready for Ground Attack in Syria’s Aleppo, Latakia: US Military Official"} ,{"id":"1811830","sort":"3536857","contenttypeid":"21","pic":"/2016/04/25/alalam_635971952718887220_25f_4x3.mp4","title":"VIDEO: Obama to Send 250 more US Troops to Syria"} ,{"id":"1811840","sort":"3536856","contenttypeid":"21","pic":"/2016/04/25/alalam_635971981115944972_25f_4x3.mp4","title":"VIDEO, Sending more US Troops to Syria Will Worsen Crisis: Iran"} ,{"id":"1812778","sort":"3536855","contenttypeid":"21","pic":"/2016/04/28/alalam_635974582002214591_25f_4x3.jpg","title":"Russia Seeks More Details about US Military Deployment in Syria"} ,{"id":"1812869","sort":"3536854","contenttypeid":"21","pic":"/2016/04/28/alalam_635974706757789817_25f_4x3.jpg","title":"Syria Government Condemns US Special Forces Deployment as Blatant Aggression"} ]"