Former Syrian Vice President Abdul Halim Khaddam, a strong critic of President Bashar al-Assad, stated to the German magazine “Der Spiegel” that he is forming a government in exile and believes Assad will be forced to leave power this year.
Khaddam, who lives in Paris, said that Assad faces increasing pressure from economic problems at home and from the international investigation into the assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. He affirmed that “his downfall has already begun. I don’t believe his regime will continue after this year.”
Khaddam, who was close to the late President Hafez al-Assad for 30 years, left the government in June last year. He was charged with treason and expelled from the ruling Ba’ath Party after a series of attacks on the Syrian president.
When asked by “Der Spiegel” if he seeks to form a government in exile, Khaddam responded: “That’s correct,” explaining that he would be willing to work with Islamic leaders, describing them as “part of the rich Islamic fabric that defines the main character of our country” and the Ba’ath Party. He stated, “I do not exclude any political group that adheres to the basic rules of democracy,” emphasizing that “no one should make the mistake with the Syrian Ba’ath Party that the Americans made with the Iraqi Ba’ath Party.” He mentioned that “the majority of Ba’athists in Syria have turned against the regime for a long time. They see the government’s mistakes every day.”
Khaddam reiterated all the allegations he made last week that Assad ordered the assassination of Hariri, stating, “I am convinced… the order came from Assad. He is a very reckless man, and he always loses his composure.”
Khaddam denied in another interview with the American radio station “Sawa” that the French authorities had asked him to leave the country for any Arab state. He stated that such claims are untrue, clarifying that the French authorities requested him to respect French regulations by refraining from launching media attacks against the Syrian regime from French territory. He also denied any intention of undertaking an Arab tour or receiving contacts from any Arab country, stating, “I have not contacted, and no one from the brothers in Saudi Arabia or Egypt has contacted me.”
The son of the former Syrian Vice President, Jihad Khaddam, confirmed that his father would remain in France and had no intention of moving to Saudi Arabia. He said, “There are no harassments from the French government; on the contrary, there is no plan to move to Saudi Arabia.” He considered these reports as “misleading” from the Syrian regime.
The French authorities have repeatedly stated that there has been “no contact” with Khaddam and that he “resides in Paris on a personal basis.”
