Ambassador says the Syrian people do not trust the opposition

Syria's Ambassador to China Imad Mustafa said Syria is not only fighting an internal battle, but a battle against U.S. expansionist attempts to rearrange the world map in its own interests.

“Most friendly countries realize that the attack on Syria doesn't target Syria only," Mustafa told the Chinese Xinhua news agency in an interview released on Thursday.

He added that many of the issues go beyond Syria to the Palestinian cause, or to Iran, and the presence of superpowers in the international arena.

The ambassador stressed that victory is the only option for the war Syria is waging against armed terrorist groups and warned that the international community could not afford to have terrorist groups taking over the country.

He underscored that Syria's regional role is the real reason major and regional countries allied against it, “because they believe that having a weakened Syria and removing from the sphere of resistance would enable them to impose all the solutions which the U.S .and Israel seek in the region,” he said.

"This is exactly what Syria seeks to prevent, out of its belief that the final goal of the war on Syria aims to undermine its resistance role against the U.S. project in the region,” Mustafa said.

As for the international conference intended to be held on Syria on 22 January, the Syrian ambassador said any result other than agreeing on fighting terrorism in Syria would be “worthless”.

"What is equally important is that the countries which sponsor the extremist groups must stop supplying these groups with weapons and halt the media and political mobilization in their favor," Mustafa added.

He said the Syrian people do not trust “an opposition of five-star hotels” in London and Paris, or those who receive money from Arab countries, stressing that this opposition has no representation in Syria and does not enjoy the Syrian people's respect.

Mustafa added that neither the opposition which receives its orders from the west, nor the so-called “armed opposition” can be considered a real opposition.

He reiterated that the success of Geneva II, in Syria's opinion, demands that the international forces convince extremist regional forces to stop the flow of weapons and money to the armed terrorist groups along with the political and media support.

Mustafa described China's position on the crisis in Syria as "honorable", as it is towards all the Arab issues in general, stressing that the Syrian people will not forget China's stance.

"Almost three years into the crisis now, it is certain that Syria's future is to be determined by the Syrians themselves, through a Syrian-led political process free of any interference by the Western forces and regional countries," Mustafa concluded.

Translated and edited by The Syrian Observer