Former Syrian Vice President Abdul-Halim Khaddam said today, Thursday, that the survival of the regime in his country would compel Syrians to take up arms, and he called on the International Security Council to use all means, including military intervention against it.
Khaddam, the Secretary-General of the so-called “National Authority for Supporting the Syrian Revolution,” stated in a letter addressed today to the President of the International Security Council, obtained by United Press International, that “the international community’s hesitation to take decisive positions to end the regime’s crimes will lead to a major strife that will not be confined to the borders of Syria but will include the Arab region due to the demographic nature of its peoples.”
Khaddam added in his message that “the Syrian people are not only facing (President) Bashar al-Assad and his armed forces, but also facing the alliance between him and Iran, which uses all available means to protect his regime, as this alliance has enabled it to control Lebanon, Syria, the Palestinian file, and Iraq.”
Khaddam expressed his wish to the President of the International Security Council to “help the Syrian people to be rid of an oppressive regime so that they can achieve their aspirations in building a civil and democratic state, and to use all means, including military intervention, similar to what happened in Libya.”
Syria has been witnessing protests since March 15, with demands for reforms and the overthrow of the regime. The United Nations has stated that the death toll during these protests has exceeded 4,000, while the Syrian authorities claim that the toll has reached 1,500, including 800 security personnel.
The Syrian authorities accuse armed groups supported from abroad of firing on protesters and security forces.