Syrian information minister: Army repeling terrorists

Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi stressed that the Syrian Army is now advancing on all fronts in the combat against terrorists across the country, adding that the battlefield has changed and there will be no turning back. In an interview with the Syrian TV on Wednesday, he said that the advance achieved by the army can be observed on the ground and the statements made by the western leaders shows the same fact. He pointed out that terrorists' aggression on Syria, which has targeted the Syrian state and the people, cannot achieve its goal because it has no legitimacy or just cause, and added that there are some sides which have realized that after all their media, financial, arms and intelligence support, their terrorism project cannot achieve its objectives, while others are still captivated by their own obsessions and hopes and  are ready to go to the end of this path, which will not at all be confined to Syria. The Minister stated that supporters of terrorism, on top of them Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey, have not spared any means for realizing their objective, adding that they cannot do anything but supporting terrorists, which has a dangerous repercussions for the entire region. Al-Zoubi said that the Syrian government has always adopted the political path which is manifested through the national dialogue, as it accepted going to Geneva without preconditions for reaching political solutions approved by the Syrian people through a general referendum. "Those who dream that they would go to Geneva to take Damascus keys are ridiculous and politically trivial", the minister said. "The mere declaration to attend Geneva by those means that they have abolished their previous statements, yet the important question is: what is the relation between the foreign opposition and the armed terrorist groups on the ground ? and could it ask them to stop fighting?" he wondered. "They have a link with the terrorist groupings in Syria, yet they do not have an authority or decision to allow or prevent them from doing anything, because schemes are set by foreign countries, and serious talks should be held with them," al-Zoubi added. The Minister stressed that the only solution for combating terrorism is through uprooting it, which is the Syrian government's mission. "Israel has become the official spokesperson of some (Persian) Gulf states, as its interests have aligned with Saudi Arabia's because of the recent negotiations between Iran and the West," he said, adding that the positive atmosphere of the 'Iran Geneva' talks will be reflected on 'the Syrian Geneva' and vice versa, and those who had worked to foil the positive outcomes of the Iran-West nuclear talks in Geneva will seek to foil Syria's as well.