“Two Unavoidable Axes Loom Over the Course of the Summit Meeting Between Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in the city of Jeddah on the Red Sea coast later today, Tuesday. These axes are the repercussions of the statements by the former Syrian Vice President Abdul Halim Khaddam and the request from the international investigation committee to interview Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa. Official sources in both countries have not commented on the potential topics to be discussed during the upcoming summit. However, these fall within the context of the diplomatic efforts undertaken by Riyadh and Cairo for several months to attempt to save Damascus from the tightening grip of the international community, as regional political observers see. Despite the unannounced frustration of several decision-makers in the Arab world regarding Damascus’ policies that do not match its weight in the region, several neighboring capitals fear the implications of confirming the involvement of elements of the Syrian government in the assassination of the former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, as stated in the first report of the international investigation committee on the incident.
The former Syrian Vice President Abdul Halim Khaddam had stated in an interview with Al-Arabiya channel about the Syrian President’s explicit threat to Hariri earlier, which caused a spike in Hariri’s blood pressure, especially when he was frankly informed that anyone opposing the Syrian decision in Lebanon would be crushed. Hariri, who had opposed the extension of the current president, Emile Lahoud, based on its violation of the Lebanese constitution, was mentioned. The spokesperson for the international investigation committee into Hariri’s assassination stated on Monday that the committee requested a meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa, and also expressed a desire to meet with the former deputy to the Syrian President, Abdul Halim Khaddam.
Nisrat Hassan said, “The committee requested to meet with Assad, Sharaa, and other Syrians, and we await the response of the Syrian authorities.” The international investigation committee concluded in two reports published in October and December that Syrian and Lebanese security officials were involved in the assassination of the former Lebanese Prime Minister. On the other hand, the leader of the Lebanese parliamentary majority, Saad Hariri, praised the “historic testimony” given by Khaddam on Sunday. Lebanese President Emile Lahoud, who rejected Khaddam’s accusation against him of leading a campaign to incite against Hariri, was criticized. Hariri, who is currently outside Lebanon due to threats received, considered Khaddam’s “historic testimony” to be “in the interest of Lebanon and the truth defended by all Lebanese.”