He said that his country is experiencing a real civil war.
France urges Khaddam to exercise caution in his statements and denies rumors that Syria is asking him to leave Paris.
From Choukri Amin: French sources have denied reports in the press that a French envoy visited both Saudi Arabia and the UAE to discuss the possibility of the former Syrian Vice President, Abdul Halim Khaddam, relocating to one of these countries. Reports had circulated in Paris yesterday indicating that the envoy visited Riyadh and Abu Dhabi to discuss Khaddam’s departure from Paris, but the French sources told Al-Quds Al-Arabi that this news is not true. The sources mentioned that the rumor likely originated from Syrian sources who were troubled by Khaddam’s defection and the exposure of many of the regime’s secrets. The French authorities are keen to emphasize that they have not been in contact with Khaddam, who is living on their soil, in an attempt to deny the rumors that Khaddam is planning to return to the heart of the Syrian regime in Damascus with official French sponsorship. The sources told Al-Quds Al-Arabi that the French authorities have urged Khaddam to consider French diplomacy and to reduce the intensity and number of his statements from Paris.
This comes as Arab diplomatic sources told Al-Quds Al-Arabi that foreign embassies, including the French embassy in several Arab countries, have recently received threats linked to the Syrian crisis.
In an interview conducted by the French weekly magazine “Le Nouvel Observateur” before being advised to exercise caution in his statements, the former Syrian Vice President reiterated direct accusations against President Bashar al-Assad and the Syrian intelligence regarding the assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. He said that the international investigation committee heard his statements, confirming those accusations. He stopped at the details of a discussion that took place between him and President Assad regarding extending the presidential term of ally Emile Lahoud. Khaddam stated in his account to the French weekly that he met Bashar al-Assad at 9 a.m., and he seemed very nervous. Assad told him, “I called Hariri this morning at 7:30. He is plotting against us.” I told him that we did not make him prime minister to appoint presidents who would be enemies to us. Khaddam added in his account to the French weekly that Assad told him that Hariri’s relations with France, the United States, and Saudi Arabia were working against Syria’s interests. Khaddam continued, saying that Assad told him that Hariri tried to justify his relations with the mentioned trio, but Assad interrupted him, saying, “Beware, I am the one who decides who will be Lebanon’s president. Anyone who opposes my decision will be crushed.” Khaddam also stated that when Bashar al-Assad attempted to extend Lahoud’s term for another two years, Hariri opposed it, as did all Lebanese, Syrians, and Arabs. Khaddam justified Bashar al-Assad’s determination to keep Lahoud in power, as the Lebanese intelligence was cooperating with the Syrian intelligence in the corruption that flooded Lebanon. He said that Bashar, his brother Maher, and his brother-in-law Assef Shawkat are at the heart of the corruption in Lebanon. In this context, Khaddam said that Lahoud told Bashar al-Assad that if he appointed another president to lead Lebanon, he would certainly open the files of Banque de la Méditerranée or those related to the financial transfers made by Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi president, to Lebanon.
Regarding the future of the current regime in Syria, Khaddam said that Bashar al-Assad will fall, and it will be the people who bring him down. He believes that he is against military coups, citing Algeria as an example, and stressing the need to keep the military institution out of the political game. Regarding the Syrian opposition and its effectiveness at present, Khaddam said that Syrians, in general, are against the current regime, but they cannot openly express it. He believes that opposition will emerge in the future through unions, popular movements, and intellectuals. When asked about the possibility of a civil war erupting in Syria, Khaddam responded that 120 citizens have been killed in the last two days, adding that Syria is experiencing a real civil war, and the future is unclear amid killings and attacks. He believes that without national reconciliation, the war will continue in the country.
