Former Syrian Vice President Abdel Halim Khaddam has stated that President Bashar Al-Assad has issued a decision to prohibit his brother-in-law and the head of the Military Intelligence Division, Asif Shawkat, from traveling, and the latter has since disappeared.
In a telephone interview, Khaddam added, “We anticipate a fate similar to that of Ghazi Kanaan for Asif Shawkat.” Ghazi Kanaan, the former Syrian Minister of Interior and former head of the Syrian Intelligence Division in Lebanon from 1982 to 2001, took his own life in his office in Damascus three years ago.
Regarding the repercussions of the Arab summit, Khaddam, a founder and leader of the opposition Salvation Front, expressed, “The summit lacked Arab representation, as many Arab countries participated at a lower level due to political reasons related to various regional issues and the stance of the regime in Damascus regarding these matters.” He further stated, “The summit’s theme was Arab solidarity, so it is reasonable to question why major Arab countries in the region abstained from high-level participation.”
In Khaddam’s opinion, “The summit was devoid of substance. The first day was filled with speeches, and the closed sessions on the second day lasted only a few hours.” He continued, “Crucial issues impacting the future of the region, such as the Arab-Israeli conflict, Iraq, Lebanon, the situation in Darfur and southern Sudan, as well as Iran’s regional strategy and international interests in the region, were not adequately discussed.” He queried, “Which topic was on the agenda that the summit managed to address independently of the overwhelming media discourse?” He concluded, “By all measures, the summit failed in terms of both content and format. However, for Bashar al-Assad and the Syrian regime, it was a success as they are not interested in resolving the raised issues but merely seek to demonstrate that the regime in Damascus is not isolated. They can exploit the event internally, considering the complex circumstances.”
Regarding the course of action expected from Arab countries that reduced their representation at the Arab Summit in Damascus, particularly with regards to Lebanon, Khaddam commented, “In my view, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Yemen, and other countries that participated with limited representation will make their best efforts to resolve the Lebanese crisis. However, I do not anticipate any positions outside of this framework.”
He added, “Despite the fact that the Lebanese issue serves as a testing ground for ongoing conflicts and all other unresolved matters, Arabs do not focus solely on it.”
In response to a question about the identity of the criminal network mentioned by Daniel Bellemare, the Canadian head of the International Investigation Commission, in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, the former Vice President of Syria stated, “It is evident that Bellemare was referring to the party accused by the Lebanese of being responsible for the assassination. He stated that all the assassinations were carried out by the same political party.” He added, “In any case, the purpose of the report is to summarize, and I believe that when the prosecutor presents the case to the International Court, all the names will be disclosed. I believe the matter has become quite clear, which justifies the Syrian regime’s panic.” Furthermore, he mentioned, “When discussing the situation in Lebanon, the opposition claims that they want to participate in power, even though they were originally part of the power-sharing agreement known as the quadripartite alliance in 2005, which resulted in the Siniora government and later became known as the resistance government during the July war.”
When the International Tribunal file was submitted and the draft was presented to the Lebanese government for approval, the ministers of the Amal Movement and Hezbollah resigned, despite being part of the governing coalition. He continued, “Their resignation came as a result of a directive from Damascus. In this context, we recall the statements made by officials in Damascus, who warned that the situation in Lebanon would deteriorate if the court proceeded.”
Regarding reports of an exchange of letters between Israeli Prime Minister Olmert and Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, Khaddam remarked, “Bashar Al-Assad seeks to engage with the United States through the Israeli channel, but both he and the Israelis understand that he is incapable of achieving the peace that Israel desires. This also applies to Olmert, who is unable to attain a peace agreement that provides political cover for Bashar al-Assad.” He added, “Olmert is leveraging the Syrian card to pressure the Palestinians, while Israel has an interest in maintaining some level of openness with Assad. The Syrian regime is the weakest and most economically disadvantaged country, and it has undermined unity and patriotism, in addition to its 41-year occupation of the Golan Heights. This aligns with the perspective of the Israeli state, as evident from Begin’s well-known statement emphasizing the threat from the north.” He concluded that “Israel is not genuinely committed to pursuing peace, and Assad is incapable of taking steps towards peace based on international initiatives and legitimacy.”
