Abdul Halem Khaddam, the former deputy president of Syria, stated that the Arab League’s initiatives regarding Syria are heading down a blocked path. In statements to the London-based newspaper “Al-Sharq Al-Awsat” published on Monday, he added that the Iraqi initiative presented to the Arab League is an Iranian initiative and that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is “unqualified” for any initiative.
Khaddam, who had announced his defection from the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December 2005 after his relationship with the latter deteriorated, stated that the international community bears the responsibility for its hesitation in deciding to use military force to rescue the Syrian people. At the same time, he called on the Arab League to decide on the overthrow of the Syrian regime and to refer the issue to the Security Council.
Regarding military intervention, Khaddam said, “Military intervention in Syria could happen similar to what occurred in Yugoslavia and Ivory Coast,” pointing out that Syrians are awaiting decisive decisions from the Gulf summit scheduled for Monday.
