The former deputy to the Syrian president, Abdel-Halim Khaddam, announced that he will not apologize to anyone in Lebanon for his past responsibilities when he handled the Lebanon file for nearly three decades.
Khaddam affirmed in statements published by the “Sada Al-Balad” newspaper yesterday that he “has nothing to apologize for and will not apologize to anyone,” adding that “none of the Lebanese politicians he worked with, whether he disagreed or agreed with them, has the right to demand an apology from him.
” He said, “There was a civil war with its circumstances, and if we want to evaluate that period, I am ready for dialogue with all Lebanese leaders to determine the extent of each one’s mistakes,” noting that “the period was difficult and had its mistakes.” Khaddam added, “The period in which I was responsible for the Lebanon file was the most dangerous period in Lebanon’s history, and we managed to overcome it.” He warned against tampering with the Taif Agreement at this stage because it would bring Lebanon back to square one, meaning civil war. He supported the “Damascus Declaration” signed by Syrian opposition parties, denying any formation of an alliance with the former Syrian Chief of Staff Hikmat Al-Shihabi to overthrow the Syrian regime.
