Former Syrian Vice President Abdel Halim Khaddam launched a scathing attack on the Assad regime and Iran, which he accused of being behind the decision to assassinate martyr Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, while the Assad regime was merely the executor, stressing that “Hezbollah cannot carry out a crime of this magnitude without a direct Iranian decision.”
He believed that the killing of Rustom Ghazali “is the result of things that are feared to leak out about the Hariri assassination in these circumstances, in which the Syrian regime is facing its worst situation after the series of defeats it suffered in Idlib Governorate,” considering that it “has become on the brink of the abyss,” and that the battle against the opposition It is led by Iranian officers, while Hezbollah’s role has declined, and this was clearly evident in Hassan Nasrallah’s last television appearance, in which he looked like a chicken. He praised the decision of Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz to defend Yemen and stabilize the Gulf
In an interview with Elaph, Khaddam confirmed that Ghazali was one of the black hands in the Syrian regime, as he was used in many crimes. Rafiq Shehadeh is also a retiree of the Republican Guard, and this in any case gives an explanation that there are things that are feared to leak out in these circumstances, in which the regime is facing its worst situation. He wondered: For whose benefit is the killing of Rustum Ghazali? What is the formula that links the two characters? Why did Rafik Shehadeh go to Rustum Ghazali’s house to kill him? Are there specific relationships between them that are a matter of dispute, or was there someone who pushed Rafik Shehadeh to carry out the assassination for fear of leaking information owned by Rustum Ghazali, who was one of the elements participating in the crime of assassinating Rafik Hariri, or who was giving daily reports about Rafik Hariri’s status and his movements inside Lebanon
He added: There was no connection between me and Rustum Ghazali, even when he was in Lebanon and I was responsible for the Lebanese file, because I was in contact at that time with Ghazi Kanaan and General Hikmat Al-Shihabi, under the guidance of President Hafez al-Assad. So far, no information has been released from Rustum Ghazali’s relatives whether he was killed or is still alive. He noted that Ghazali’s departure is linked to the context of revealing a series of information related to the situation of the Syrian regime, including the situation of Ali Al-Mamlouk, who does not move a single hair except under instructions from Bashar Al-Assad. He is not an iron character, but rather a person who was brought to the intelligence service because he is obedient.
He denied that he had information about Syrian Vice President Farouk al-Sharaa, who is hiding from view, pointing out that Ghazali, al-Mamlouk, and al-Sharaa are not afraid of Bashar al-Assad, because he knows that none of them has the ability to harm him.
He said: If the International Court was serious about holding accountable, it would have summoned Bashar al-Assad after the killing of Prime Minister Hariri and the opening of the court’s doors. He pointed out that the previous investigations had reached a conclusion, and the first investigator into the Hariri assassination had begun to draw up a condemnation decision, but international interventions occurred that prompted the first investigator to resign and another investigator was brought in, and things then began in the direction that would distance Bashar al-Assad from the crime, but the investigation committee had The first is sufficient information to convict Bashar al-Assad of the assassination of Rafik Hariri.
I provided the information I had that was sufficient to convict the Syrian President, and the court insisted that it would try the people who were carried out without trial as the primary motive or director. The people who carried out the attack were members of Hezbollah, and apparently other members working with the regime in Syria, as the assassination was a major political operation. In Syria, there is a ruler who is not the decision-maker, because the decision-maker is in Tehran and not in Damascus
He added: Will Hezbollah move without an Iranian decision? Does anyone believe that Hezbollah would commit such a crime without an Iranian decision? What did Iran benefit from the assassination of Rafik Hariri? Iran considers Rafik Hariri to be loyal to Saudi Arabia and gathers Sunni Muslims in Lebanon around him, and he is preventing Hezbollah from taking over Lebanon. Assad is on the brink of the abyss. What does the series of defeats suffered by the Syrian regime in Idlib Governorate indicate? It indicates the victories of the revolutionaries in Syria, and that Bashar al-Assad is on the brink of abyss
Regarding whether the victories achieved by the opposition in Syria were the result of splits within the military establishment or the result of what was reported about a Saudi-Qatari-Turkish alliance to help the “Army of Conquest,” he said: We can never talk about splits, but the regime’s army is tired and has suffered great losses. Consequently, the military is no longer fighting as it was fighting four years ago. The capabilities of the Syrian opposition have also developed, and the Syrian fighters have received a large amount of training, held together and achieved victories in Idlib, Al-Ghab and Aleppo, and I believe that this series will continue until it includes all of Syria.
He explained that there is a Turkish-Saudi-Gulf rapprochement, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has taken a position that no Arab leader has taken in years, which was to take up arms to defend Yemen, its fate, and the security and stability of the Gulf states. This decision taken by King Salman bin Abdulaziz is considered a historic decision. He will be recorded in history as one of the top leaders of the Arab world at this stage. We Syrians are confident that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its brothers in the Arab coalition will not abandon Syria, and will help the Syrian people achieve victory and escape from injustice and persecution.
He pointed out that “Hezbollah was in Aleppo and Qalamoun, where it faced severe resistance and suffered great losses during the period in which it was wrestling with the revolutionaries, and this led to a decline in its role, and this is something that appeared clearly in Hassan Nasrallah’s appearances, so that he appeared in his last television appearances.” Like a chicken after he appeared like an antar. As for Iran, it cannot send a force larger than what is present inside Syria today. Hezbollah is tired and the Iranian groups have been unable to achieve anything, and therefore Iran will soon leave Syria.”
He stressed that the Syrian regime is not leading the battle inside Syria, but rather Iranian officers, and they are planning, training and leading. Iran committed a grave sin by getting involved in Syria, and the fate of the Syrian regime will be reflected in both Lebanon and Iraq, considering that the Lebanese leaders made a mistake in not electing a president of the republic, because if they wanted a president who would be satisfied by Hezbollah and the Syrian regime, that would not satisfy the majority of the Lebanese, and these leaders. They bear responsibility for not electing a president, asking why they don't meet? Is it fear of Hezbollah?
