Abdel-Halim Khaddam, the former deputy to the Syrian president, accused Hezbollah’s Secretary-General, Hassan Nasrallah, of receiving instructions from Damascus to create chaos in Lebanon and bury the investigation into the assassination of President Rafik Hariri. The Syrian opposition group “National Salvation Front” sees this as Assad’s attempts to protect his regime from being referred to an international court for the crimes committed in Lebanon.
Khaddam commented on the resignation of ministers from Hezbollah and Amal movements from the Lebanese government during the fourth session of the National Salvation Front in Brussels. He said, “I believe that these resignations are part of an operation ordered by Bashar al-Assad to create chaos in Lebanon and bury the investigation into the assassination of President Rafik Hariri and obstruct the formation of the international court. This began practically when Hezbollah received instructions from Hassan Nasrallah in Damascus by one of the high-ranking security officers close to Bashar al-Assad to start this plan through the kidnapping of soldiers because the person who gave the order knew very well that Israel’s reaction would be war in Lebanon, as this was evident from the practical experience in Gaza.”
The General Secretariat of the National Salvation Front, founded by Khaddam and the General Observer of the Muslim Brotherhood, Ali Sadr al-Din al-Bayanouni, stated in the final statement of its fourth session that they had discussed reports of negotiations conducted by the Syrian regime with some foreign parties to preserve its regime and protect it from being referred to an international court for the multiple crimes it committed in Lebanon. They saw Syria’s actions on Lebanese soil as an attempt to strike at Lebanese powers within an desperate attempt to regain the Syrian regime’s control over Lebanon and cover up its role in crimes, including the assassination of President Rafik Hariri.
The Front stated, “The General Secretariat of the National Salvation Front appreciates the history of Hezbollah and its history of struggle. This party should not immerse itself in Bashar al-Assad’s game, which could destroy national unity in Lebanon.” It called on all Lebanese parties to avoid falling into this abyss, which Bashar al-Assad called for, as it would be an inferno for Lebanon and Syria. The Front mentioned that it had received reports from various provinces within the country regarding suspicious activities by the Iranian ambassador in Damascus. It also received numerous complaints from citizens about efforts to recruit Syrian citizens in service of the Iranian project in the region, describing these activities as divisive and a threat to national unity.
The Front warned against playing with sectarianism in an overt attempt to change the national and sectarian identity of the Syrian people, which is no longer hidden from anyone. It emphasized that change would not come by replacing one ruler with another or one faction with another but by building a national democratic system. The Front stated that it would present its programs for dialogue to the public to adopt optimal solutions for the country’s political, economic, and social problems.
The statement also mentioned that the Front had begun preparing practical tools for the desired national change by establishing communication with internal forces, developing programs, and building relationships with Arab and foreign countries and humanitarian organizations. It called on all citizens to strengthen their national unity in preparation for a day when Syrians would assume their responsibilities in changing the oppressive regime and building their democratic state, free from fear, injustice, tyranny, and corruption.
