To the sons and daughters of Syria, both within the homeland and abroad,
Oh, freedom fighters for dignity, justice, and the right to self-determination, defenders of national unity and the people’s unity, I address you with the hope to witness the flag of freedom fluttering in the Syrian sky. May the Syrian people become the master of their destiny, triumphing over the murderous and corrupt regime of Bashar al-Assad.
Your homeland, brothers and sisters, is under serious threat due to the approach adopted by the tyrant Bashar al-Assad, aiming to establish a state in the coastal region encompassing the provinces of Latakia and Tartus, the city of Homs, parts of its province, in addition to sections of the Hama countryside and southwestern Idlib province. He intends to connect it to eastern Lebanon and its south.
These words were spoken by one of the high-ranking officers in front of one of the officials who defected from the regime.
I urge you, Syrian brothers and sisters, to unify your efforts, channel your energies, and set aside your differences, for your strength lies in your unity, and the regime’s power lies in your division.
The nation is facing a great danger. Do not let us drown in Byzantine discussions that strengthen the regime and increase the peril to the nation.
Let each of us set aside our thoughts and projects, and let our project be the struggle to protect national unity and work to overthrow the oppressive regime. Otherwise, no one should dream that, on their own or through usurpation, they can save and liberate the country from this regime. Let our slogan be the liberation of the nation, a responsibility on everyone’s shoulders.
Through this message, I appeal to our Arab leaders to read the history of the fall of Muslim Arabs in Andalusia and the history of the Palestinian cause, to recognize the danger not only to Syria but to all.
Bashar al-Assad is executing a project backed by Iran to eradicate the values and beliefs of the Syrian people, enhancing Iran’s control in the region. Be assured, brothers, that the victory of Bashar al-Assad will alter all equations in the region, making Iran the dominant and established power. This will only be reversed through a major war, approaching a world war, and then talk of the past and bitterness will be of no avail, as the cost of such a war will be high.
You have presented several initiatives that Bashar al-Assad has all failed, and you have agreed to Kofi Annan’s initiative, the UN envoy. Besides, it gives a long time for Bashar al-Assad, who, in turn, set conditions to hinder it.
I implore you, brothers, to work on forming an international military coalition to save the Syrian people because it is the last resort.
I also address the heads of major countries that declared months ago the illegitimacy of the regime and called for Bashar al-Assad to step down, then hesitated. Reflect on the danger of Iran’s control over Syria and its threat to the security and stability of the region. Understand that the alliance between Iran and the Syrian regime is adept at maneuvering and evading what is presented to them. I urge you to recall the history of World War II, how the British and French governments sought to stop Nazi military activity against Austria and then Czechoslovakia but failed after the Nazi forces occupied Poland, leading to World War II.
For all these reasons, I say with absolute clarity that all political attempts to stop Iran’s strategy and Bashar al-Assad’s crimes have reached a dead end. Therefore, I urge you to work on forming an international military coalition outside the United Nations to avoid the veto power of Russia and China. By doing so, you will save not only Syria but also the security and stability of the Middle East and your interests threatened by that bloody alliance.
Brothers and sisters,
We have no other path but unity, resilience, and mobilizing our energies and capabilities in the struggle for survival between our people and a regime that betrayed the homeland. Let us all work to achieve the zero hour to overthrow the regime, and be assured that victory will be the ally of our people, and the flag of freedom will rise in the sky of Syria.
Abdul Halim Khaddam