Syrian Vice President Abdul Halim Khaddam denied the presence of any Al-Qaeda organization in Syria.
Khaddam stated in a press statement given on Saturday following a meeting with a delegation from Iraqi tribes, “There is no infiltration from Syria, and there are no groups in Syria seeking to infiltrate Iraq,” considering these accusations as part of a biased political media campaign.
Implicitly responding to the start of Washington’s policy of hosting seminars on Syrian affairs, similar to what was done in Iraq, Khaddam mentioned that serious cooperation took place with Washington on the issue of terrorism, but he regarded the American stance on this matter as linked to Israel’s interests. He affirmed that the presence of Palestinian organizations in Syria is solely political.
Regarding the Syria Accountability Act passed by the U.S. Congress, Khaddam mentioned that there are no economic interests in Syria affected by such a decision. He pointed out that Damascus hasn’t closed the doors of dialogue with Washington; it has only closed them with Israel.
These statements came after the Washington Institute for Near East Policy hosted a seminar attended by experts on Syrian affairs and Syrian opposition figures, similar to what was done in relation to the former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein’s regime.