Abdul Halim Khaddam to “Spiegel Online”: Iran will not allow negotiations even if Assad agrees.

publisher: دير شبيجيل "Der Spiegel Online"

AUTHOR: فولكهارد فيندفور

Publishing date: 2012-10-22

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“Demands better arming of the Syrian resistance and praises Egypt’s role, expecting more from it.”

Former Syrian Vice President Abdul Halim Khaddam in an interview with the German magazine “Der Spiegel Online.”

For over three decades, Abdul Halim Khaddam served as a deputy to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and was among his close associates. Between 1970 and 1984, Khaddam served as Syria’s Foreign Minister. Later, the late President Hafez al-Assad appointed him as his deputy. After the dictator Hafez al-Assad’s passing in July 2000, Khaddam assumed the presidency of Syria in a transitional period of nearly a month. Then, Bashar al-Assad himself appointed Khaddam as his deputy. In 2005, a split occurred when Khaddam announced his resignation from all the positions he had held. He traveled to Paris, where he later established an opposition movement known as the “National Salvation Front.” Eighty-year-old Abdul Halim Khaddam, a Sunni Muslim, conducted this interview from his exile in Paris with the German magazine “Der Spiegel Online,” via its online edition.

Here is the text of the interview:

“Der Spiegel Online”: After a year and a half since the outbreak of the Syrian revolution, the upper hand in Damascus, the capital, still belongs to President Bashar al-Assad, as well as in other areas of the country. At the same time, there are increasing reports of the rebels gaining the upper hand over the regime’s army. What percentage of Syrian territory is effectively controlled by the Syrian opposition?

Khaddam: The Syrian regime no longer controls 100% of Syria’s territory, and it doesn’t even control 100% of the capital, Damascus. The question of the percentage of control by Assad’s forces over Syrian territory is not meaningful to discuss. What Assad’s forces control are areas protected by aerial bombardment and daytime helicopter attacks. By night, the security forces under Assad’s control lose their grip on these areas. When darkness falls, almost all of Syria becomes liberated. Even Damascus itself becomes liberated. The appearances are deceptive because when the gunfire stops, it doesn’t mean there’s calm; there’s strong movement beneath the surface. There’s movement happening strongly in every street and every house.

“Der Spiegel Online”: So, explain to us why the Syrian regime is still standing, and why are the rebels still under its control?

Khaddam: Iran has greatly complicated our mission recently. Bashar al-Assad is not just an executor of orders from the Iranians. Thousands of Iranian Revolutionary Guard members are supporting and strengthening the regime’s army and covering its back. The Iranians are orchestrating attacks against us themselves. Moreover, Tehran provides high-quality communication systems and advanced weaponry at the disposal of the Syrian regime. Beyond all this, Iran is injecting more money, which is a weapon in itself, to those who possess enough of it.

“Der Spiegel Online”: So, theoretically, killings could continue for years? Isn’t it possible to reach a negotiated solution to end the Syrian bloodshed?

Khaddam: Even if Bashar al-Assad or some representatives of his regime are willing to negotiate, Iran will not allow them to do so under any circumstances. For Iran, this matter is part of a carefully crafted plan to secure and guarantee its permanent dominance over the Arab world. In this plan, there’s no place for peace negotiations or even contemplating them.

“Der Spiegel Online”: So, are you looking forward to Western military intervention?

Khaddam: It’s not wise to discuss scenarios that won’t happen. The United States and the European Union have other priorities. But for the Americans and any governments willing to help us, they should at least provide us with weapons. It’s not possible for them to hand us over to the regime with advanced weaponry, as it would speed up the fall of the tyrant.

“Der Spiegel Online”: Could the arms assistance coming from Egypt change the course of events? President Mohamed Morsi of Egypt has taken a clear stance and demanded that the Assad regime stop the Syrian bloodshed and listen to its people.

Khaddam: I sent a written message of gratitude to President Morsi for his stance, but he can do more. He should prevent ships carrying weapons and ammunition from passing through the Suez Canal towards Syrian ports controlled by the regime.

“Der Spiegel Online”: But the Suez Canal is an international waterway, and it’s not easy to specifically stop certain ships from passing through it.

Khaddam: In any case, suspected ships must be inspected. If Egypt gets involved, it would undoubtedly be a significant help for us, and it would be a high moral gesture from Egypt.

“Der Spiegel Online”: In Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood rules, and in Tunisia, the Islamic Ennahda movement represents an active political force. In Syria, the Muslim Brotherhood leads the armed struggle against the regime. Perhaps that’s why the West hesitates to militarily intervene in Syria.

Khaddam: Egypt is not Syria; the land of the Nile is a unique and special case. The Muslim Brotherhood emerged there, and it has a solid base there. In contrast to Egypt, the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood is limited in Syria. The former President Hafez al-Assad fought those Islamic organizations with indifference in the 1980s. Membership in these organizations was punishable by death. As a result, the Muslim Brotherhood hardly has any solid roots in Syria today.

“Der Spiegel Online”: Syrian Christians and other minorities, as well as many citizens who have been educated for decades, fear retaliatory acts and the seizure of power by Islamists. Also, images and videos of executions in liberated Syrian areas are raising concerns among foreign human rights organizations.

Khaddam: These fears are unfounded. The Muslim Brotherhood has no chance to replace the current brutal regime with an Islamic dictatorship. The Syrian people won’t allow that. The opposition is fighting for a civil state where all citizens are equal in rights.

“Der Spiegel Online”: But the Kurds of Syria are demanding autonomous rule in your country, similar to the Kurds in northern Iraq.

Khaddam: Kurds, Druze, Alawites, and Sunnis are all Syrian citizens representing the Syrian people, and they have equal rights. As for autonomous regions, they don’t align with the image of this one united Syrian people. The common denominator for all Syrians is the shared Syrian homeland.

 

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