Khaddam: Bashar Al-Assad is afraid that if he leaves Syria, he will not return

publisher: المستقبل

Publishing date: 2006-08-15

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Former Syrian Vice President Abdul Halim Khaddam reiterated that the murderer of the late Lebanese President Rafik Hariri is Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, considering that Hezbollah’s decision is not one that a single party should make. He questioned whether Hezbollah’s actions were “for the sake of the prisoners or to serve other agendas in Damascus and Tehran.” He stated that the Syrian opposition’s “Salvation Front” would focus on working within Syria in the coming phase to accelerate the process of change, warning that “the situation in Syria could become similar to that in Iraq if this regime continues, because its persistence would lead to extremism.”

In an interview with “United Press International” on the sidelines of the General Secretariat meeting of the Salvation Front in Brussels, he responded to a question about the situation in Lebanon after the recent war between Hezbollah and Israel, stating that “Hezbollah prevented the Israelis from achieving victory.” He questioned whether this operation was “for the sake of the prisoners or to serve other agendas in Damascus and Tehran.” Based on this, there was no victory because victory is achieved when one of the warring parties loses the war. It prevented an Israeli victory, and this in itself is significant and unprecedented for Israel.”

When asked if he supports the criticism by Arab countries of Hezbollah and holding it responsible for the Israeli aggression on Lebanon, he answered, “There is no country where an armed force outside the state is allowed to unilaterally make decisions of peace and war. There is a state in Lebanon, and Hezbollah exists within this state, and it made a decision that should not be taken by one side alone. Especially since the Lebanese are tired of wars and the concept of peace and want a stable state that imposes its domination over all Lebanese territories.”

Regarding the recent statements made by Mohammad Zuheir al-Siddiq, described as the “star witness” in the case of the assassination of Rafik Hariri, where he said that the killers of the latter are “present in prison in Lebanon and in Syria,” Khaddam said, “I stated before that Bashar al-Assad is the killer, and this is my opinion. However, I do not know where the international investigation will lead, and in the end, the responsibility is determined by the international investigation.”

Khaddam affirmed that the Syrian opposition’s Salvation Front, which he co-founded with the General Monitor of the Muslim Brotherhood group in Syria, Ali Sadr al-Din Bayanouni, and other opponents, will focus on working within Syria in the coming phase to accelerate the process of change. He warned that “the situation in Syria could become similar to that in Iraq if this regime continues, because its persistence would lead to extremism.”

Commenting on the absence of the Syrian President from the summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in Cuba, Khaddam stated, “Bashar al-Assad does not sleep, and he is extremely worried about the internal situation and is afraid that if he leaves, he will not return.”

While he believed that the situation in Syria has not reached the stage of a power struggle, he mentioned that “there is concern within Bashar’s circle, especially from his son-in-law Brigadier General Asef Shawkat (head of military intelligence), who some media outlets recently indicated could be a potential alternative. This idea has rooted itself in Bashar’s mind, making Asef a preoccupation for him. This led him to practically freeze Asef’s role, change the officers close to him, and reduce his authority in recent times. Bashar now relies on Asef’s deputy rather than Asef himself.”

In a notable stance, Khaddam praised Brigadier General Asef Shawkat, describing him as a “brave, intelligent, educated officer and one of the most prominent security officers in Syria. He has strong foreign relations because he used to coordinate between Syrian military intelligence and Western intelligence agencies, specifically in the United States and Europe.”

Regarding the situation in the occupied Golan Heights, he considered the ceasefire decision “not new” and that it was made after the partnership with Egypt dissolved and tensions escalated with Iraq.

He continued, “As for the reasons for the absence of resistance in the Golan Heights, it goes back to the late President Hafez al-Assad giving strict orders to the military security agencies and armed forces to prevent any infiltration into the Golan Heights for any action, even though the Separation of Forces Agreement does not prohibit it. He believed that in all calculations, Israel’s reaction cannot be withstood by Syria, and it cannot respond in kind. Therefore, this issue was frozen.”

Regarding the attack on the U.S. embassy in Damascus, Khaddam stated, “I don’t have information about that, but some believe that the operation was orchestrated by security agencies. Based on the fact that the area where the incident occurred is a secure area 100%, it means that if an ant moves in that area, it’s under surveillance. So, how can booby-trapped cars enter this area without license plates, and there are hundreds, if not thousands, of security personnel deployed around the president’s residence, the presidential palace, embassies, and the homes of some officials. This perspective could be accurate or not.”

He added that there’s another perspective that sees the operation as a terrorist act. “If it is indeed a terrorist act, it means that due to Bashar al-Assad’s corruption, oppression, refusal to enact reforms in the country, and his continued monopoly on power, he has trapped people against a closed wall, pushing them into frustration, and consequently into extremism.”

The General Secretariat of the Salvation Front approved a field step to implement its national project for peaceful democratic change in Syria, which it adopted in its first preparatory meeting five months ago. Salah Ayyash, the coordinator of international relations in the Salvation Front, stated that “the General Secretariat’s statement, which will be issued tomorrow (today, Friday), calls for national democratic peaceful change in Syria to save it and keep the region out of danger, building a free and democratic civil state in Syria for all its citizens.”

He emphasized that the statement discussed the consequences of the war in Lebanon, which led to the issuance of Resolution 1701 and resulted in negative outcomes against Lebanon’s interests as a nation and its people. These outcomes were crowned by the deployment of international forces on its territory to protect Israel’s borders on behalf of the Israeli army. The Salvation Front rejects tearing apart the Lebanese society and stirring discord among its components, something that the Syrian regime is striving for. It emphasizes the sovereignty of the Lebanese state and asserting its influence over its entire national territory.

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