Former Syrian Vice President Abdel Halim Khaddam, 73, has lived in Paris since he defected in 2005. In November, he founded the National Committee for Supporting the Syrian Revolution (CNSRS), a movement that aims to unite all opposition factions. For several months, he has been calling for Western military intervention in Syria, a country where he still maintains numerous contacts.
LE FIGARO – Do you claim that Bashar al-Assad’s regime is transferring military equipment from the army to the west of the country, along the Mediterranean coast, to the Alawite region?
Abdel Halim KHADDAM – Absolutely. Bashar and his clan first distributed rifles and machine guns in the towns and villages populated by their fellow Alawites. For the past month, they have also begun transferring the army’s heavy weaponry, by road, to the coast, hiding it in the hills and highlands. Eight percent of the Syrian population is Alawite, although not all Alawites support Bashar al-Assad. The Alawite areas stretch from the southwest of Homs, through Hama, to the coastal city of Latakia.
What type of weaponry is being transferred?
The missiles and strategic weapons have already been completely transferred. The tanks and artillery only partially, as the regime needs to keep some to ensure repression against protesters in the cities. Bashar also plans 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 cities and block insurgents. But that did not work. So today, he is applying 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 confidants and told him of his intention to create an Alawite state from which he could lead a fratricidal and sectarian war. He is now ready to create 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 does not want to surrender and suffer the same fate as Gaddafi, even though today his political discourse, that of a desperate man, resembles 100% that of the former Libyan president. He neither wants to flee nor leave the territory. He has refused all the opportunities offered to him by the Arab League. Since force has failed, all he has left is to implement his plan of destabilization and partitioning of Syria, which would lead to the destruction of the country.
Do you think this plan can succeed?
No, because the Syrian population will continue to fight to defend the unity and territorial integrity of the country. I think this plan will ultimately hasten his downfall. But it is nevertheless very dangerous for Syria. To thwart the partition, some insurgents will not hesitate to call on radicals from the entire Islamic world. Terrorists might therefore become involved in the Syrian conflict. The Arab world is characterized by ethnic and religious pluralism, so instability could spread throughout the region.
Why hasn’t the Free Syrian Army tried to block the transfer of military convoys to the Alawite areas?
Because the Free Army does not exist in all regions. And because the roads are controlled by the regular army, Bashar’s army.
