Assad's envoy seeks support of India for political solution

Criticising the role of western countries in Syrian crisis, President Bashar al-Assad's Special Envoy Bouthaina Shaaban today sought support from India and other BRICS members for a "political solution" to establish peace in the war-ridden country.

"There is international dimension to this crisis. We feel now that Qatar and Turkey are the spearhead of war against our country and I can't go into detail but I think the government of Turkey wanted Muslim Brothers to govern Syria and wanted Muslim Brothers to take the political lead.

"There is Russia, China, India and Brazil, the BRICS countries who atleast are introducing reason into what is happening in the international community," Shaaban, who is also Assad's Political and Media Advisor, told reporters here.

He said they want violence to end.

"That's why we want Brazil, Russia, India China and South Africa to make a very strong decision in the forthcoming meeting of the BRICS and support a political solution in Syria," said Shaaban.

When asked whether there is any plan for the Syrian President to step down in the near future, she answered in the negative and said Assad's plan was to "save the country" from this raging war and to stop this violence.

"Some think that President Asad will agree to the West and then the West is going to say yes Syria should be a very good country and we should help Syria.

"I think we have to be very clear. Those who started this war want the destruction of Syria, what we and the BRICS countries want is to save Syria and to save the Syrian people," he said.

Finding fault with the western countries over their anti-Assad stance, Shaaban said that she does not know "how they can get this idea sitting in Paris or London that they can ask the President of a sovereign country to step down in this manner".

Shaaban, who is touring the BRICS countries to garner support for Syria, claimed that she has received positive signs from the Indian government over the issue.

"I did meet the External Affairs Minster and the national security advisor.... Indian government is also very keen for the violence to stop," she said.

Asked about Al Qaeda's role in the Syrian crisis, Shaaban said, "Everyday you see flags of Al Qaeda, you see the people of Al Qaeda in the black butchering people.... There is definitely huge presence of Al Qaeda."