Politicians in Beirut speculate that the defection of the former Syrian Vice President could turn the course of the investigation upside down, as seen by Walid Jumblatt, who opposes Damascus, considering him a significant witness. Jumblatt called on the Hezbollah and Amal Movement leaders to join the Independence Movement.
Investigation Path
Lebanese political sources suggest that the interview conducted by Al-Arabiya TV with the former Syrian Vice President Abdul-Halim Khaddam could have direct repercussions on the international investigation into the assassination of the former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, based on his statements about the deteriorating relationship between Hariri and Syria.
The Arab daily, Al-Hayat, based in London, quoted a source as saying that Khaddam’s statements in the interview could significantly impact the international investigation. With the chairmanship of the committee passing to Belgian judge Serge Brammertz in the second half, succeeding German judge Detlev Mehlis, it enters a new phase. The source attributed this to Khaddam’s explanation of the tense political relationship between Hariri and the Syrian leadership, which aligns entirely with the testimonies given by several Lebanese politicians before Mehlis, especially the direct and indirect threats that Hariri received from President Bashar al-Assad and other Syrian officials. The source did not rule out that Brammertz might consider Khaddam’s interview as a starting point on his agenda shortly after taking up his role as the head of the international investigation committee, succeeding Mehlis, who is currently on a family vacation in Germany and is expected to return to Beirut on the sixth of this month.
