Former Syrian Vice President Abdul Halim Khaddam expects the failure of the “Geneva 3” conference to reach a solution to the crisis with a roadmap due to the interventions of Tehran and Moscow. He affirmed that both Russia and Iran have expansionist ambitions in the Arab region and will work to undermine any project that distances President Bashar al-Assad, as their plans depend on his remaining in power.
Khaddam criticized Iran and Russia in his statements to the Saudi newspaper “Al-Watan” in its Sunday edition. He accused Iran of causing the Syrian crisis and Russia of focusing on its own ambitions and interests, even if it comes at the expense of civilians.
He also criticized the international community for agreeing to continue the Geneva conferences, indicating that “Geneva 3” will not produce a roadmap and will be similar to its predecessors, which allowed the Assad regime to continue its crimes against the Syrian people, including killings, sieges, and starvation. He stressed that the conference will not yield serious solutions.
Khaddam stated that the Geneva conferences deliberately avoided addressing the root cause of the Syrian crisis and instead maneuvered here and there. He made an exception for the Saudi position, which was previously announced by Prince Saud al-Faisal and is currently upheld by Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, stating that Assad must leave, either through political means or through a military solution.
He added that some believe Russia’s goal is to establish naval and aerial bases. However, he argued that this is not true, as Russian military bases have been present in Syria since 1976 and have never been utilized. The real aim of Moscow is to change the equation that seeks to keep Assad in power.
He pointed out that in light of these circumstances, a future outlook indicates a deterioration of the situation in Syria. The country is on the brink of a catastrophe similar to what happened in Palestine. He emphasized that this catastrophe is currently being prepared for, involving the division of Syria into provinces.
Khaddam stated that Russia’s ambitions in Syria are significant and will not be ended by an international conference. He explained that Russia sometimes uses the Assad regime and at other times uses Iran. Both Russia and Iran have expansionist ambitions in the Arab region and will work to undermine any project that removes Assad, as their plans depend on his remaining in power.
He added that what’s notable in the ongoing negotiations is that they are working on a settlement while the regime is still involved, despite its involvement in the killing of half a million people and the displacement of around ten million others to different countries around the world.
Regarding the opposition’s participation in the Geneva conference, Khaddam expressed that he hoped the opposition would refuse to attend, in order to have purely Syrian dialogues, rather than imposing names from the Russian side, which is actually represented by the regime delegation in name only. He added that this is humiliating for all Syrians, especially considering that there are no genuine negotiations happening in Geneva. Instead, multiple parties are being heard by the international mediator, with no real negotiation table where facts are presented before the international community.
About the future of these negotiations, Khaddam clarified that all that’s happening is giving Assad and Russia more time to kill Syrians and implement Russia’s plans in the region. He emphasized that any agreement that includes a single sentence allowing Bashar and his regime to stay will be nothing more than ink on paper and will not end the crisis.
Khaddam confirmed that the current regime forces and security agencies, from the days of former President Hafez al-Assad’s crimes, are sectarian forces rather than national institutions. He explained that any government that comes from outside this regime will face these agencies. He predicted that within a year or less, there will be a military coup in Syria, and things will return to how they were before. He stressed that Syria needs a complete reconstruction across all levels.
