Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa has revealed details about military operations in the western suburbs of Aleppo, where his forces seized key areas before the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
Al-Sharaa stated that during the advance, the Russians sent him a warning:
“Stop at this border, take what you have taken, and do not proceed further, or the situation will escalate.”
However, the Syrian president said he interpreted the situation as the collapse of the regime, so he ignored the Russian warning and continued the operation.
He concluded by emphasizing that the decision was the right one: “And thank God, it was the right and proper decision.”
Facing Difficult Questions
In an emotionally and politically charged interview, al-Sharaa responded to questions from renowned journalist Christiane Amanpour regarding his alleged past ties to terrorism, using a well-known political tactic: turning the definition back on the accuser.
“What does ‘terrorist’ mean?” he countered.
He then applied the standard himself. According to al-Sharaa, a terrorist is anyone who kills innocent people children, women, civilians and uses illegal means to harm the population.
Relying on this definition, he immediately broadened the accusation to other global actors. Al-Sharaa cited 60,000 civilian deaths in Gaza, noting that most were innocent, and criticized the international silence, comparing it to the attitude toward the Syrian regime which he strongly condemned.
He stated that the Syrian regime has killed over 1 million people over 14 years, with 250,000 still missing and 14 million displaced. Yet, according to him, the regime is never labeled a “terrorist.”
The Syrian president extended his analysis to military interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq, arguing that the majority of casualties there were also civilians, and that often those labeling others as “terrorists” are themselves the perpetrators of destruction.
His final message stressed that global perception has shifted over time, and the international public now better understands who truly deserves the label of “terrorist.”
