Assad's Futile Fallible Reasoning to Divert Attention from His Tyranny to the Terror of Others

In a furtive interview with Russian media that was reported by the Associated Press(AP) today, Bashar al Assad, who has executed the Syrian war against his people for more than four years killing and gassing many children, women, and civilians, while driving millions of Syrians from their homes, has called for unity with armed opposition groups to defeat terrorism. 

Assad, who has always categorized his opposition as all terrorists, is facing a decline in territory and  unarguably, he is attempting to save his own skin from his inevitable disposition and answer before an international court of justice for crimes against humanity.

Assad told the Russians, whose government is trying to shore up Assad's declining influence, that his priority is "defeating terrorism". But how could a despot defeat himself? Assad has subjected millions of Syrians to his terror and tyranny for far too long. The rise of the extremist group, the Islamic State(IS), within Syria, is a direct result of Assad's war that has killed close to 250,000 people. Children have been barrel-bombed and gassed, women and civilians also; and if that isn't terror, than what is?

"We the political parties, the government and the armed groups that fight against the government, we must all unite in the name of defeating terrorism," the AP quoted the hereditary leader. But how could there be any unity involving Assad against the IS in Syria? Assad's mere existence in Damascus remains a major recruiting tool of the IS. And the crux of Syrian affairs establishes one thing as fact: the IS will not be defeated as long as Assad is in power in Damascus.

Moreover, Assad's claim to Russian media that Europe was to be blamed for the present refugee crisis at its borders, is perhaps the most absurd allegation of the century. Europe is clearly attempting to shoulder Assad's burden.

Therefore, while the rise and violence of the IS must be checked, Bashar al Assad must be held accountable for crimes against humanity. The children gassed to death by his regime is more than sufficient justification to disqualify and to reject Bashar al Assad as any part of the civil world.