Virginia State Senator Dick Black in Syria; He Aims to Change U.S Syria Policy

PRESS RELEASE

Virginia State Senator Dick Black in Syria; He Aims To Change U.S Syria Policy

April 28, 2016 (EIRNS)—Today Iran’s Press TV prominently featured Virginia State Sen. Dick Black’s meeting with Syrian President Assad and his advisors in Damascus.

During the television clips of his meeting with President Assad, Sen. Black emphasized that what is happening in Syria is far from the disinformation being spread by some parties in the U.S. administration.

Syrian President Assad, for his part, said that terrorism knows no borders, and the fight against terror requires a joint international effort that is not limited to the military level, and includes battling Wahhabism, which is widely promoted by Saudi clerics.

Sen. Black also held meetings with other Syrian government officials, where he stressed his resolve to advocate better Damascus-Washington ties. "I will be Syria’s voice," the official SANA Syrian news agency quoted Black as saying. Prior to his trip, Black said in a letter that he was traveling to Syria "in an attempt to restore peace and prevent the slaughter of Christians and other minorities" in the conflict-ridden Arab country.

On his Twitter account, Black wrote that he supported Assad because he was fighting the growth of the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group. "If Assad falls, ISIS (Daesh) will secure Syria and march on Europe," Black’s tweet said.

Syria has greater women’s rights and religious freedom than any nation in the Arab world," Black pointed out. Yet, "[the U.S.] is allied with two of the most vile nations on earth, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, which are intent on imposing a [Wahhabi] fundamentalist government on the Syrian people."

AP and The Washington Post also carried lengthy articles marked by incredulous ridicule of Senator Black’s Syria trip yesterday, apparently amazed that an American legislator could act like a citizen of the world—especially toward a country not approved by popular opinion.