Abdul Halim Khaddam, the former Vice President of Syria who defected from the Syrian regime in 2005, called for a change in the structure of the current Syrian regime so that absolute power does not remain in the hands of the president but is transferred to democratic constitutional institutions.
In an interview conducted with him by journalist Najlaa Al-Omari, Khaddam stated that he does not favor any involvement of the military in the process of change and believes that the change should come from within Syria.
Khaddam further mentioned that Syria’s foreign policy is confused and has led to wrong decisions, such as the decision to extend the term of Lebanese President Emile Lahoud, which resulted in the humiliating withdrawal of the Syrian army from Lebanon.
When asked about the timing of his statements, given that the situation in Syria was not new, and he was part of the regime at the time, he explained that the situation is different now. In the past, Syria had a strong ally, the Soviet Union. However, the current situation requires strengthening national unity, involving people in determining their fate, ending the state of freedoms confiscation, and alleviating economic pressures.
Khaddam clarified that he had no authority over the security apparatus that suppressed intellectual forums, as all authorities were in the hands of President Bashar al-Assad.
Regarding allegations of President Bashar al-Assad’s involvement in the assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, Khaddam stated that he did not possess evidence but relied on facts relayed to him by President Bashar al-Assad himself, including the threat to crush Hariri. He confirmed that he met with the international investigation committee but declined to disclose the details of that meeting.
He also did not believe that Syria would send 50,000 soldiers to Iraq and considered it a rumor spread by the regime to reassure the Syrian people that there was an agreement with the United States.
When asked if he had contacted any Arab regime, Khaddam denied such contact, stating that his communication was only with the internal opposition. Opposition leaders discuss ways to change the regime, leading to a planning phase and subsequent action.
He denied any contact with the French government and mentioned that he entered France with a regular visa, with no intention of seeking political asylum there.
Khaddam concluded by denying reports that his wealth exceeds one billion dollars and emphasized that the change in Syria would occur within months, not years.
