Western officials criticize Damascus in public but secretly deal in private not to upset US – Assad

‘Western politicians have been forced into the awkward position of being obliged to negotiate with Damascus over security under the table in fear of raising Washington’ ire, Syria’s president told Australia’s SBS News in an exclusive interview.
“They attack us politically and then they send officials to deal with us under the table, especially the security, including your [the Australian] government,” Bashar Assad told SBS News reporter Luke Waters.
“They don’t want to upset the United States,” the Syrian leader said. “Actually most of the Western officials only repeat what the United States want them to say. This is the reality,” Assad said in an interview filmed in Damascus that took two years of negotiations to arrange.’
Read more: Western officials criticize Damascus in public but secretly deal in private not to upset US – Assad