Syrian Minister in Tehran to Discuss Anti-Terror
TEHRAN (Dispatches) -- Syrian Interior Minister Major General Muhammad Ibrahim al-Sha'ar arrived here on Sunday to hold talks with senior Iranian officials on best ways of fighting terrorism.
Sha'ar, who arrived for a two-day visit, said terrorism is the common enemy of Iran and Syria.
The battle against all types of terrorism requires firm determination of the two countries’ officials, he added.
Iranian officials have repeatedly reaffirmed the Islamic Republic’s policy to stand by the Syrian people in their fight against terrorism, saying the Arab country’s security is of utmost importance to Iran and all other countries in the Middle East region.
The ISIL terrorist group, with members from several Western countries, controls parts of Syria, conducting heinous crimes against different ethnic and religious communities in the Arab country.
Syria has been struggling with a deadly crisis since March 2011. The violence fueled by Takfiri groups has so far claimed the lives of over 230,000 people, according to reports.
The United Nations says more than 3.8 million Syrians have left their country since the beginning of the conflict. Over 7.2 million Syrians have also become internally displaced.
Noting that Tehran and Damascus enjoy cordial relations, the Syrian minister stressed the importance of further strengthening of the two countries’ ties in all arenas.
Sha'ar is set to hold talks with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, Secretary of Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani, and police chief Brigadier General Hussein Ashtari.
Meanwhile, American political commentator James Fetzer said the United States and the occupying regime of Israel are undoubtedly the world’s "two leading terrorist organizations.”
"There really can be no serious doubt that the United States and Israel are the two leading terrorist organizations in the world which is the reason why the Department of State has to make incoherent claims" like the one that accuses Iran of supporting terrorists, Fetzer told Press TV.
Fetzer was pointing to the annual report by the Department of State, which was published on Friday. The report does not mention Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey, which are widely believed to be the main supporters of terrorists in the Middle East. The U.S. itself stands accused of financing and arming militants in the region.
"The United States created the ISIS (ISIL), the United States is sponsoring the ISIS, the United States has opposed the United Nations’ declaration that ISIS is a terrorist organization,” Fetzer said.
The largely unknown leader of the ISIL terrorist group, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, confirmed in the photo with Senator John McCain.
He also stated that "(Senator) John McCain (Chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services) flew to Syria and was photographed with the leader of ISIS who is recognized as a Mossad agent.”
"The latest reports in fact have two high ranking advisers of ISIS, also Mossad agents being captured by American Special Forces in Iraq, which must have been inadvertence of the United States is supporting ISIS, which is widely known in Washington and it’s John McCain’s army,” he added.
"The United States is a great sponsor of terrorism as is Israel, which occurs repeatedly around the world. We should be supporting Syria and Iran and not attacking them or seeking to undermine them,” Fetzer noted.