Abdul Halim Khaddam, the former Vice President of Syria, sent a message to the fighters in the Syrian revolution in southern Syria, warning them of a plan to dismantle Syria. Khaddam, who is currently a refugee in London and holds the title of Syria’s secrets keeper for half a century, stated the following in his message:
“Dear fellow fighters for the overthrow of the regime of murder, destruction, corruption, detention, and displacement, you who are fighting to protect the unity of our people and preserve our values, principles, the sanctity of our homeland, and those striving for a secure future for our people and future generations,
Your unity, dear fighters, is the first step in uniting fighters in every province to form a leadership for the revolution. This leadership is the most crucial means to overthrow the regime and hold accountable all those who have committed crimes of murder and extermination.
The decision of the fighters in southern Syria to unite their forces is the correct one.
Brothers,
In the midst of Arab divisions and international hesitations, one team is providing military assistance to the tyrant Bashar al-Assad and his regime at the expense of the blood of our people, their security, and stability. Another team has focused its attention in one direction and ignored the blood of the Syrians and the crimes of the regime. This policy has given the murderous regime in Syria the opportunity to continue its crimes.
The Secretary-General of the United Nations made a mistake by sending an envoy with a project to resolve the Syrian crisis, with the following consequences:
A – Granting international legitimacy to the murderous regime, in violation of the United Nations Charter, which condemns dictatorial regimes that deprive their people of the right to self-determination. The envoy’s project conflicts with the legitimate rights of the Syrian people.
B – The project, as announced by the international envoy, focuses on a ceasefire in part of the city of Aleppo, while the regime’s military force continues to use all means of power, backed by Russia and Iran.
C – If this project is placed on the negotiation table, it will lead to an escalation of extremism. When the killings in Syria began in mid-March 2011, the international community called for the formation of an international military alliance to save the Syrian people, because the continuation of this situation would lead to a fire in Syria that would spread to the countries of the region. Syria would become a haven for extremists in both the Arab and Islamic worlds. Unfortunately, those who make decisions ignored this danger. After two years of patience and attempts by the Syrians to defend themselves, they resorted to taking up arms because they had no other option. Their blood was flowing like waterfalls, and the international community did not move to fulfill its responsibility. On the sidelines of the regime’s extremism and oppression, signs of extremism emerged, which remained within the framework of the war waged by the regime against the Syrian people. The regime and its allies launched a media campaign against Syrians defending themselves, accusing them of extremism and terrorism. Unfortunately, some countries fell for this campaign and began to contribute to the charge of extremism, despite the fact that some terrorist organizations in Syria are not the creation of the Syrian people; they were formed in Iran and grew in Iraq.
D – This project will lead to the dismantling of Syria’s geographical and political unity and reminds us of the catastrophe of the Palestinian people and the role played by some major powers in that catastrophe.
E – Those who fight to defend their people, seeking to escape from tyranny, injustice, and oppression, are at the forefront of the struggle to overthrow the regime and build a political system for the state that achieves justice, equality, and freedom for all citizens, regardless of their social, political, religious, or national affiliations.
F – During World War II, the Nazi regime occupied parts of Europe, and nationalists who resisted aggression became resistance fighters and took up arms to confront the Nazi forces. These groups included both right-wing and left-wing elements. Is it reasonable to accuse them of extremism? Anyone who defends their people, their freedom, and the sanctity of their homeland is a fighter deserving of respect and appreciation. Therefore, we must all work towards the unity of the Syrians and the unity of the fighters to save our country and restore freedom, justice, and equality under a democratic system.
In conclusion, the mission of the United Nations envoy does not correspond to the suffering of the Syrians or their rights. This project has not taken into account the unity of the Syrian people and their right to self-determination. Therefore, I believe that there is no one among the Syrians who can cooperate with this project because its goals conflict with our national objectives.
Such projects will only lead to great dangers that will harm Syria as a homeland and its inhabitants as a people. Certainly, this envoy will only cause harm to our people and our homeland.
Dear fighters, your unity is what will achieve our national objectives, and it will overthrow the regime, God willing. No one should fear a shift in the balance of power for two reasons:
First, when nations take charge of their affairs, they achieve victory. For example, the Algerian revolution did not have a military balance of power between the revolutionaries and the French forces, yet the steadfastness of the revolution achieved victory, and the French forces left Algeria. Another example is Vietnam in its conflict with the Americans; its forces did not match American power, yet the Vietnamese revolution succeeded through its steadfastness.
Second, the unity of Syrian fighters, both military and civilian, will change the balance of power. Arab countries will reconsider their positions and provide real assistance to their brothers in Syria. Foreign countries will also reconsider their calculations.
Your unity, dear fighters, and the unity of the Syrian people is the wall that protects the homeland, ensuring security, stability, freedom, and justice in a country whose legitimacy comes from the people.
May God’s peace be upon you, and I pray that He assists our people.
Abdul Halim Khaddam”
