In an exclusive interview with Al-Alam Now, former Syrian Vice President Abdel Halim Khaddam criticized the Syrian regime and accused Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and Lebanese President Emile Lahoud of working to bring Lebanon under the control of the security services.
Khaddam said, “I abandoned the Lebanese file since the selection of General Emile Lahoud as President of Lebanon, because I used to object to it, considering that political life in Lebanon and Lebanese society cannot afford a military president. General Lahoud came to mind to be a president just like he is the president in Syria. During that period, President Bashar Al-Assad received the Lebanese file and worked with Lahoud to build a joint Syrian-Lebanese security system. Instead of Damascus dealing with politicians directly, dealing with Lebanese politicians has been through the security service in Anjar. Therefore, Lebanon has made great strides to be under the rule of a security system.”
In response to his critics in Syria who accuse him of being part of the corrupt regime, he challenged them to produce any document condemning him, stating, “I challenge any official in the current Syrian administration to come up with a single file that one of my children has anything to do with it. I was in the political sector, and I was not in the executive branch. Corruption occurs in ministries that conclude contracts and tenders. I challenge them to come up with the name of one company that has to do with the Syrian state, and one of my children has a relationship with it. This is part of the slander to defame the reputation. Syrians know it well. They all know who was the agent of the companies that implemented the projects in Syria, such as Mohammed Makhlouf, Rami Makhlouf, partner Bashar Al-Assad, Mohammed Hamsho, Maher Al-Assad’s partner, Kamal Al-Assad, and the children of Bashar Al-Assad’s aunt Riad shalish and Zuhair shalish. They were all taking over projects in the country. I think these are partners of Bashar (Assad), on the one hand, and money collectors for the Assad family on the other hand.”
Khaddam expressed his conviction that the Syrian people will rise up like the Lebanese people. He added that the Lebanese people, some of whom opposed or were able to oppose, have paid the price of this opposition because they said no to the Syrian-Lebanese security system. The assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri led to an uprising by the Lebanese to end this security system in Lebanon. “I am sure that the Syrian people will rise up to end the security system in Syria because if the people ever want to live, fate must respond, the night must be released, the shackle must be broken. The will of the people is stronger than all.”
The former Syrian Vice President denied seeking to replace Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, stating, “I am never looking for that. It’s not the location that matters. I’ve held high positions for a long period of time. What matters to me is the salvation of Syria. I have done a lot for my country, and I can only sleep and think about the future of Syria and the future of Syrians who have lost their smile, who are now looking forward with a lot of hope to move to a new phase so that Syria can regain its position and role, and that Syrians can regain their activity and abilities to promote their country and cooperate with their brothers in Arab countries.”
Khaddam stressed that he draws his strength “from Allah Almighty and from the Syrian people.”
