Former Syrian Vice President Abdel Halim Khaddam expects Judge Serge Brammertz to present a report by the end of this month regarding the assassination of the late President Rafik Hariri, including new facts, evidence, and convictions regarding the assassination crime, holding Syrian President Bashar al-Assad responsible for any dysfunction in Lebanon. This comes after the campaign he launched against the March 14 Forces and the ongoing campaign against Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.
Khaddam, speaking to the program “One of the Questions” on Alhurra channel yesterday, considered the attempted assassination of Colonel Shhadeh to be linked to Hariri’s assassination due to his involvement in the file. He suggested that the same entity responsible for previous assassinations, namely the security apparatus and its remnants in Lebanon, might be responsible for the attempt. This can only be ordered by President Bashar al-Assad, as security decisions in Syria are under the control of the head of state.
Khaddam linked Assad’s accusations against the parliamentary majority as an Israeli fabrication to the campaign against Prime Minister Siniora’s government because it is “desired by Bashar al-Assad.” He interpreted it as a strategy for the war in Lebanon and the kidnapping of Israeli soldiers, which was ordered by Bashar al-Assad to create a rift in Lebanese society. However, this failed as the Lebanese people united.
He stated that Bashar al-Assad bears direct responsibility for any dysfunction in Lebanon.
Regarding Assad’s absence from attending the Non-Aligned Movement Summit in Cuba, Khaddam believed that he did not attend because “he fears popular movements in his absence. He is anxious, afraid, and troubled because he has entangled himself in actions on the ground that conflict with the country’s interests. He isolated Syria, and he is internally isolated, so it is natural for him to fear leaving the country.”
Regarding the recent attack on the US Embassy in Damascus, he mentioned two possibilities: firstly, that the operation was arranged by a security agency considering the area where the incident occurred is 100% secure, being the location of the presidential palace, the President’s residence, and several senior officials. The second possibility is that the attack was a terrorist operation, and if so, it is a very dangerous indicator.
Regarding Assad’s recent attack on Arab countries in his speech, Khaddam stated that his (Assad’s) connection to Iran’s strategy is behind such speeches and positions because connecting with Arab countries has its requirements, as does connecting with another state. With this speech, he increased his internal isolation in addition to his increasing Arab isolation. There is absolutely no Arab cover for such policies.
