The Death of Hafez al-Assad in 2000
After a date had been set for the Regional Congress of the Baath Party, Khaddam says he met at his home in Bloudan with Bashar al-Assad, Izz al-Din Nasser, General Ibrahim al-Safi, and Major General Ghazi Kanaan.
“We discussed the Regional Congress privately, and continued meeting regularly until the death of President Hafez on June 10, 2000.”
Khaddam then recounts his telephone conversation with President Hafez:
“It was customary for me to go to Baniyas on weekends, so I called the president on the morning of Wednesday, June 7, to ask his permission. We had a lengthy conversation over the phone about people’s health as they grow older. He said to me: ‘You alone knew how to take care of your health, at a time when I and the other comrades did not pay attention to ours. Ever since you were young, you have exercised, gone to the sea, and climbed up to Bloudan.’
“I replied: ‘Don’t you remember how often I advised you to rest and emphasized the need for a vacation? That was also what the doctors advised you after you overcame your heart attack in the 1980s. You carried out your duties as president of the republic while also performing the work of the heads of the security agencies. You placed the affairs of the state and its institutions on your shoulders, when you should have delegated some of your essential powers to your deputies and to the government.’
“He said: ‘That is true. I have carried burdens beyond my capacity.’
“The conversation lasted more than half an hour, and he asked me when I would return from Baniyas. I replied: ‘I will return Saturday morning.’
“He said: ‘When you arrive, call me.’”
Khaddam then turns to the death of Hafez al-Assad:
“I traveled that day to Baniyas and returned to Damascus on Saturday. When I arrived home, they told me that the presidential palace had asked for me. I assumed the request was for a meeting with the president. I called the palace, and they informed me that Dr. Bashar was waiting for me at his home. At that point, I realized that President Hafez might have died or might be clinically dead.
“I changed my clothes and immediately went to the president’s home. I saw a group of military officers gathered outside, and at that point I became certain that he had died. In the reception hall, I found the members of the leadership with Dr. Bashar and his brother-in-law Assef Shawkat. They were discussing how to announce the death.
“Defense Minister General Mustafa Tlass informed me that the Regional Command had decided to nominate Bashar al-Assad for the presidency of the republic, and had taken a second decision to amend the constitution, with the People’s Assembly scheduled to meet that evening to approve the amendment.
“I did not discuss the matter. The leadership had made its decision, and it would not have been appropriate to enter into discussions about it.”
General Tlass Wanted to Become Army Commander
Khaddam then recounts the details of Bashar’s appointment as Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Armed Forces on the eve of his assumption of the presidency, succeeding his father, who had just died.
“It was decided that the Regional Command would send two written letters to the People’s Assembly. The first was to amend the constitution regarding the minimum age for the president” (Bashar al-Assad was 34 at the time, while the constitution stipulated that a presidential candidate must be at least 40). “The second letter concerned Bashar’s nomination for the presidency.
“On the evening of the president’s death, June 10, 2000, I met with Dr. Bashar at his home and proposed that he be promoted to the rank of lieutenant general and appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Armed Forces.
“He asked me: ‘Shouldn’t we seek General Mustafa [Tlass’s] opinion?’
“I replied: ‘We can inform him of the decision rather than ask him.’
“We then agreed to meet the following day in the presence of General Tlass. Dr. Bashar said to him: ‘Abu Jamal [Khaddam] has a proposal.’
“He asked me to explain the proposal to General Mustafa. I said that the situation required appointing a Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Armed Forces, and I proposed appointing Dr. Bashar so that he would have a legitimate official position within the state.
“Mustafa Tlass’s face turned pale and he fell silent. I told him: ‘It would be useful to proceed with this quickly.’
“Tlass replied: ‘I will ask the legal adviser at the Ministry of Defense to prepare the decree.’”
The decree was delayed, so Izz al-Din Nasser contacted General Mustafa Tlass’s office manager and asked about the reason for the delay. He was told that General Tlass wanted Bashar to be promoted to the rank of general, rather than lieutenant general, because Tlass wanted to become Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Armed Forces himself.
“Our conviction was that Mustafa Tlass was not suitable for this position because of his particular character and conduct, in addition to the fact that he had long since lost what was required of a military commander. The second reason for rejecting Abu Firas’s proposal was that I had decided to support and assist Dr. Bashar, even if this came at the expense of the old comrades in the party, including ‘Abu Firas.’ We must not forget that Hafez al-Assad had built a system that placed Syrians before two choices: either accept the regime with all its flaws, or face civil war.”
An Arab Recommendation
Khaddam also recounts the details of his meeting with a “prominent Arab leader” who told him that he supported Bashar al-Assad’s presidency. He says:
“On June 13, 2000, we went to the village of Qardaha to attend President Assad’s funeral. After the burial ceremony and receiving condolences, I returned to my home in Baniyas. My office manager called me and told me that an Arab leader was in Damascus and wanted to meet me. He was among the most prominent Arab guests who had attended Hafez al-Assad’s funeral.
“I went to Damascus and arrived after midnight. At Tishreen Palace, I found the distinguished guest waiting for me. We spoke about President Hafez’s personality, and he held him in great affection. He then turned to the situation in Syria and said: ‘People are now in a state of mourning, but after a month or two the grief will subside and they may move against you. I hope, Abu Jamal, that you will stand by Dr. Bashar and cooperate with him for the good of the country.’
“He then added: ‘We have informed Rifaat al-Assad (the late president’s brother, who was exiled in Europe and had aspired to the presidency since 1984) that we support his nephew and will not accept anyone destabilizing Syria.’”
