In an unusual and rare Skype appearance in the U.S., Syrian President Bashar Assad's media and political adviser said her people are unhappy with the U.S. delivery of humanitarian assistance to some of the most besieged areas of the war-torn country, describing the baskets of aid as "macaroni" and "tin food."
"Syrian people are use to eating fresh fruits and vegetables, and fresh crops that they themselves grow in Syria," Dr. Bouthaina Shaaban told a group of journalists and seemingly shocked Syrian-Americans activists gathered at the National Press Club.
The remarks, which came across as out-of-touch, to say the least, came about in a controversial setting sponsored by the Global Alliance for Terminating ISIS and Al-Qaeda, whose stated goal was "to establish a common ground for unity among nations and governments around the world to terminate these evil terrorist organizations," according to a press release.
During the live question-and-answer portion of the event, Dr. Shaaban, an official who has been targeted by U.S. sanctions and has been described as a "propaganda mouthpiece for the Assad regime," engaged every opportunity to reaffirm her opposition to the delivery of humanitarian aid.
"Airdrops and trucks on the road, this is something that is being discussed between the UN and the Syrian government," she said. "This is not very important to us. The most important thing to us is to uproot terrorism. Because as I said, the Syrian people are able to feed themselves. By the way, when the first food baskets used to arrive from the UN, the Syrian people would cry and never accept any food baskets because they have never accepted aid from anybody."
According to State Department estimates, however, roughly two-thirds of the pre-war Syrian population--just about 17 million people--are in need of humanitarian assistance. Two weeks ago, Secretary of State John Kerry, and other world powers, threatened the Syrian government with a June 1st deadline: to either grant the United Nations the access outlined to them under Security Council resolutions or to expect an airdrop operation headed by the World Food Program.
Since August 30, 2011, Dr. Shaaban has been "designated" by the Treasury Department, meaning that she--along with two other Syrian officials--have been barred from setting foot on U.S. soil. A Treasury Department official declined to comment on the legality of Skyping with a US-sanctioned politician, but did say that transactions with designated persons are "generally prohibited."
Dr. Shaaban says she hasn't visited the United States since 2005, when she was Minister of Expatriates for the Syrian Arab Republic. It was after this trip, however, that she decided to refrain from making future trips to the U.S. -- after airport authorities detained her assistant for two hours without explanation.
She said, "When the decision was made against me, it was made in freezing assets. That's all. I don't have any legal decision to prevent me from traveling to the United States."
In recognition of the controversial nature of the event, the 109th President of the National Press Club, Tommy Burr, reiterated the organization's commitment of more than 100 years: to promote free speech and the exchange of ideas.
"The National Press Club's answer to such controversial speakers is that we encourage our members and journalists everywhere to rigorously question her along with the other panelists," he said in in a public statement on Wednesday.
Syrian political adviser makes unusual comments to U.S. reporters, activists
By Julia Boccagno
/ CBS News
In an unusual and rare Skype appearance in the U.S., Syrian President Bashar Assad's media and political adviser said her people are unhappy with the U.S. delivery of humanitarian assistance to some of the most besieged areas of the war-torn country, describing the baskets of aid as "macaroni" and "tin food."
"Syrian people are use to eating fresh fruits and vegetables, and fresh crops that they themselves grow in Syria," Dr. Bouthaina Shaaban told a group of journalists and seemingly shocked Syrian-Americans activists gathered at the National Press Club.
The remarks, which came across as out-of-touch, to say the least, came about in a controversial setting sponsored by the Global Alliance for Terminating ISIS and Al-Qaeda, whose stated goal was "to establish a common ground for unity among nations and governments around the world to terminate these evil terrorist organizations," according to a press release.
During the live question-and-answer portion of the event, Dr. Shaaban, an official who has been targeted by U.S. sanctions and has been described as a "propaganda mouthpiece for the Assad regime," engaged every opportunity to reaffirm her opposition to the delivery of humanitarian aid.
"Airdrops and trucks on the road, this is something that is being discussed between the UN and the Syrian government," she said. "This is not very important to us. The most important thing to us is to uproot terrorism. Because as I said, the Syrian people are able to feed themselves. By the way, when the first food baskets used to arrive from the UN, the Syrian people would cry and never accept any food baskets because they have never accepted aid from anybody."
According to State Department estimates, however, roughly two-thirds of the pre-war Syrian population--just about 17 million people--are in need of humanitarian assistance. Two weeks ago, Secretary of State John Kerry, and other world powers, threatened the Syrian government with a June 1st deadline: to either grant the United Nations the access outlined to them under Security Council resolutions or to expect an airdrop operation headed by the World Food Program.
Since August 30, 2011, Dr. Shaaban has been "designated" by the Treasury Department, meaning that she--along with two other Syrian officials--have been barred from setting foot on U.S. soil. A Treasury Department official declined to comment on the legality of Skyping with a US-sanctioned politician, but did say that transactions with designated persons are "generally prohibited."
Dr. Shaaban says she hasn't visited the United States since 2005, when she was Minister of Expatriates for the Syrian Arab Republic. It was after this trip, however, that she decided to refrain from making future trips to the U.S. -- after airport authorities detained her assistant for two hours without explanation.
She said, "When the decision was made against me, it was made in freezing assets. That's all. I don't have any legal decision to prevent me from traveling to the United States."
In recognition of the controversial nature of the event, the 109th President of the National Press Club, Tommy Burr, reiterated the organization's commitment of more than 100 years: to promote free speech and the exchange of ideas.
"The National Press Club's answer to such controversial speakers is that we encourage our members and journalists everywhere to rigorously question her along with the other panelists," he said in in a public statement on Wednesday.
In:- Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
- Syria
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