INTERVIEW – The former Syrian Vice President claims that the regime is transferring its weapons to the coastal area to create an Alawite state in the northwest.
The former Syrian Vice President, Abdel Halim Khaddam, 73, has been living in Paris since his defection in 2005. In November, he founded the National Committee for Supporting the Syrian Revolution (CNSRS), a movement that aims to unite all factions of the opposition. He has been calling for months for Western military intervention in Syria, a country where he maintains numerous contacts.
LE FIGARO – Do you assert that Bashar al-Assad’s regime is transferring military equipment from the army to the west of the country, to the Mediterranean coast, in the Alawite region?
Abdel Halim KHADDAM – Absolutely. Bashar and his clan first distributed rifles and submachine guns in the cities and villages populated by their Alawite compatriots. For the past month, they have also begun transferring heavy weaponry from the army, by road, to the coast, hiding it in the hills and highlands. 8% of Syria’s population is Alawite, even though not all Alawites support Bashar al-Assad. The Alawite areas stretch from the southwest of Homs and go up, via Hama, to the city of Latakia, on the coast.
What type of weapons are involved?
Missiles and strategic weapons have already been completely transferred. Tanks and artillery have only been partially transferred because the regime needs to keep some to ensure repression against the protesters in the cities. Bashar has also planned to send his fighter jets to the Latakia airport.
What is the regime’s goal?
The Syrian president has changed tactics. For a long time, he tried to invade the cities and block the insurgents. But it didn’t work. So now he is implementing another plan, which aims to create a religious war, an interfaith war. I know that a month ago, he confided in one of his Lebanese affiliates and told him about his intention to create an Alawite state from which he could lead a fratricidal and sectarian war. He is now ready to establish his personal republic. He plans to settle in Latakia. I am sure there are enough underground shelters where he and his clan could retreat.
Do you think Bashar al-Assad is playing the card of partitioning Syria?
Yes. He has unsuccessfully used force against the Syrian people. He doesn’t want to surrender and face the same fate as Gaddafi, even though today, his political speech, that of a man cornered, is 100% like that of the former Libyan president. He neither wants to flee nor leave the country. He has rejected all the opportunities offered to him by the Arab League. Since force has failed, all that remains for him is to implement his plan to destabilize and partition Syria, which would lead to the destruction of the country.
Do you think this plan could succeed?
No, because the Syrian population will continue to fight to defend the unity and territorial integrity of the country. I believe that this project will eventually lead to his downfall. But it is still very dangerous for Syria. To thwart partition, some insurgents will not hesitate to call on all the radicals of the Islamic world. Terrorists may therefore enter the Syrian game. The Arab world is characterized by ethnic and religious pluralism. Instability could therefore spread throughout the region.
Why has the Free Syrian Army not tried to block the transfers of military convoys heading to the Alawite regions?
Because the Free Syrian Army does not exist in all regions. And because the roads are controlled by the regular army, Bashar’s army.
