Syrian President Bashar Assad accused western government of following a policy of double standards toward his country by secretly dealing with his while publicly trying to topple his government.

“They attack us politically and then they send officials to deal with us under the table, especially the security, including your (the Australian) government”, Assad told SBS’ Luke Waters while interviewing him in Damascus.

Referring to the West’s remarks against him, Assad openly stated that western countries say and do what they are being told to by the United States.

“They don’t want to upset the United States. Actually most of the western officials they only repeat what the United States wants them to say. This is the reality”, he declared.

“Our army is fighting terrorists, our government is against terrorists, the whole institutions are against terrorists. If you call fighting terrorism butchery, that’s another issue”, he added.

Addressing Australians who consider coming to Syria to fight, he said: “If there are foreigners coming without the permission of the government they are illegal, whether they want to fight terrorists or want to fight any other one, it’s the same. It’s illegal, we can call it.”