Special to WorldTribune.com

Syrian President Bashar Assad skewered the West in an interview with Russian media on Sept. 16, citing the “willful blindness” of the Obama administration in the fight against Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) and blaming Europe for the current refugee crisis.

For the U.S. officials, “if they cooperate with the Syrian army, this is like recognition of our effectiveness in fighting ISIL,” Assad said. “This is part of the willful blindness of the American administration, unfortunately.”

Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said he believes that America’s opinion on Assad in the conflict has evolved behind the scenes.

“I think this is one thing we share now with the United States, with the U.S. government: They don’t want the Assad government to fall. They don’t want it to fall. They want to fight (ISIL) in a way which is not going to harm the Syrian government,” Churkin said in an interview with CBS News. “On the other hand, they don’t want the Syrian government to take advantage of their campaign against (ISIL.) But they don’t want to harm the Syrian government by their action. This is very complex.”

In the past few weeks, Moscow has shipped about a half-dozen battle tanks and other weaponry and sent military advisers, technicians, security guards and portable housing units to the Latakia area in Syria, an Assad stronghold.

U.S. officials have said Russia is pulling out all the stops to prop up Assad and have rejected his participation in the coalition’s battle against ISIL.

“Nothing’s changed about the fact that we don’t want to see the Assad regime getting any support,” State Department spokesman John Kirby said. “There can’t be a role (for) the Assad regime in efforts to stabilize the situation in Syria, much less go against ISIL.”

Assad put the blame on Europe for the refugee crisis currently hitting the continent, saying it is a direct result of the West’s support of extremists in Syria over the past four years.

“How can one be indignant about a drowned child and remain silent about the death of thousands of children, elderly people, women and men killed by terrorists in Syria? These European double standards are unacceptable,” he added.”If you are worried about them (refugees), stop supporting terrorists.”

In the interview with Russian media, Assad also suggested he was prepared to share power with some members of the opposition, but added that no political solution can be implemented unless terrorism is defeated first.

Assad denied claims that there is an Iranian initiative on the table, saying there were only “ideas and principles” that are based on the issue of Syrian sovereignty and fighting terrorism.

  Bashar Assad, Syria’s Assad hits ‘willfull blindness’ of U.S. in fight against ISIL, Vitaly Churkin, WorldTribune.com