He told Asharq Al-Awsat that the authorities are fueling sectarian tension, and Turkey desires nothing more than reform.
Abdel Halim Khaddam, the former vice president of Syria who defected from the Syrian regime in 2005, stated that Western countries should not fear that the fall of President Bashar al-Assad will lead to the emergence of an extremist Islamic regime. During his visit to Brussels yesterday, he informed Asharq Al-Awsat that “what the international parties need to do is stop expressing concerns about fundamentalist extremism taking control of Syrian leadership. Syrians, both Muslims and Christians, are religious but not fanatics. They should realize that covering up the regime under this pretext and perpetuating its repression and tyranny will lead to the transformation of moderation into fanaticism.”
“What these countries need to do is help establish an international commission of inquiry and refer the investigation to the International Criminal Court to hold accountable those who ordered, planned, and executed the killings. Military operations are not necessary,” he added. Security forces have killed at least 40 people since the beginning of demonstrations in Syria last month, with dozens of others injured.
Khaddam, who arrived in Brussels late last week to hold a press seminar discussing developments in his country, emphasized that “Syrians do not require any international military intervention to assist them in getting rid of the regime.” However, he mentioned that “Turkey has a perspective on the subject of reform in Syria, but the Turkish leadership may disagree with overthrowing the regime and building a new system.”
Khaddam accused the current Syrian regime of “contributing to the fueling of sectarian tensions” in the country. During his interview with journalists at a hotel in the Belgian capital, Brussels, he pointed out that Syria had not experienced any sectarian conflicts previously, but the practices of the current regime have led to the present situation.
Khaddam firmly believed that “Syrian youth will continue their protests and achieve their goals.” He emphasized that these youth have no affiliations with any party or group. He accused the Syrian authorities of “corruption, power monopolization, suppression of freedoms, and weak economic management,” which have resulted in the mobilization of youth, in addition to the success of the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt.
“All opposition parties support peaceful movements in the Syrian streets and reject any external interference in the country’s affairs,” he stated. Khaddam accused the Syrian president of “providing support to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s regime.” Simultaneously, he criticized the positions of Arab countries, saying, “The Arab countries supporting the Libyan opposition are the same ones supporting President Assad.”
In response to a question about his political past, which marked him as one of the most prominent figures of the Syrian regime for many years, Khaddam stated that he had advised the Syrian president and offered numerous suggestions to address the situation, but President Bashar ignored all of them. He claimed that his decision to defect from the Syrian regime was driven by his concern for the well-being of his country, Syria. Khaddam expressed his willingness to face trial, asserting that he had no fear in defending himself against any charges that might be brought against him.
According to Khaddam, “the true crisis in Syria lies in the nature of the regime that has governed Syria for four decades, using its power to make unilateral decisions and marginalize the role of the people, resorting to all forms of repression and its institutions. This has led to the emergence of sectarian tensions.” He further stated, “The issue is not about manipulating time or making decisions to appease certain factions in an attempt to pacify public unrest. The issue revolves around an undeniable fact, which is the need to change this regime, hold its officials accountable, and return to the path of democracy established by the Syrian founders who built an independent state that was later overthrown by military coups.”
Khaddam expressed his belief in an impending regime change, saying, “From my perspective, it is bound to happen. It is natural for Syrians to go through a series of stages, but all of these stages will contribute to achieving the ultimate goal. Differences in slogans, at times, without directly declaring the main objective, are due to the nature of the stage and the complex circumstances experienced by the Syrian people.” He added, “However, the one phrase agreed upon by all is the restoration of freedom and the end of authoritarian rule mechanisms, thus leading to change. We must not forget the state of fear that Syrians lived in due to the terrorism of security institutions, including arrests, killings, and imprisonments. Today, we witness that it was the youth of Syria who broke through the wall of fear.”
He highlighted that the demonstrations represent “scenes that Syrians have not witnessed in nearly half a century. Therefore, the progression of confrontations with the regime will determine the nature of each phase.” He further added, “This revolution was initiated by the youth of Syria, not by parties or groups. They come from different political and intellectual backgrounds. We must assist them in understanding the requirements of each stage, and it is incumbent upon everyone to support them rather than burden them.”