Rome – UPI – Abdel Halim Khaddam, former Syrian Vice President, announced that Moscow remains insistent on the necessity of a dialogue between the opposition and the government in Damascus, calling for the formation of an international coalition outside the Security Council to intervene in Syria.
According to the Italian news agency, Khaddam said, “The Russians are committed to the principle of political dialogue with the regime in order to reach some kind of solution.” He confirmed to Russian envoy Mikhail Bogdanov, whom he met on Sunday in Paris, that “any talk of dialogue with the criminal regime is futile, and this applies not only to the opposition but to every honorable Syrian.”
Khaddam questioned, “Who dares to sit with the regime after all the destruction and devastation it has caused to Syria?”
The Regime’s Structure Will Not Change
He pointed out that dialogue with Assad “means accepting his presence and the existence of his regime.” He argued that “even if the head of the regime were to relinquish power, the structure of the security regime would not change. The problem is not with his person but with the regime’s tools.”
Khaddam commented on the proposal to form a transitional government, saying, “A government without a program cannot last more than 10 days.” He believed that a transitional government should be established in conjunction with the regime’s collapse, not while the murderous regime is still in power, even if it includes all opposition factions.
He noted that attempts by opposition figures to establish this government “have failed like all the governments-in-exile.”
He added, “Honestly, there are currently no liberated territories that the regime cannot reach with its aircraft and artillery,” calling for the formation of an international coalition outside the Security Council for intervention. He suggested that as soon as the first three fighter jets fly over the areas controlled by the regime, it will fall.
Khaddam highlighted that “a delay in international intervention will lead to the rise of extremism, which will harm the interests of all countries in the region.”
Regarding the future of minorities, he said, “I asked the Russian envoy what would happen if a Christian or Alawite were harmed by revolutionaries due to their religious beliefs. His answer was negative.”
Khaddam added: “85% of the people have no interest in being forced to accept the regime’s continuation.”