“After facing obstacles in forming the government at the end of 2004 due to President Lahoud’s extension, President Hariri received a call from Speaker Nabih Berri, who told him, ‘Comrade, apologize for not forming the government.’ Hariri replied, ‘I won’t apologize unless the Syrians ask me to.’ Berri responded, ‘Am I speaking on my own?’ At that point, Hariri called Brigadier Rustom Ghazaleh and asked him, ‘Nabih is asking me to apologize for not forming the government. What do you think?’ Ghazaleh replied, ‘Yes, do what Nabih told you.’
According to Daloul, while visiting Syrian Vice President Abdel Halim Khaddam in his office in Damascus in 2004, before Lahoud’s extension, Khaddam asked about Hariri, saying, ‘How is Abu Bahaa?’ I replied, ‘He is fine.’ Khaddam then said, ‘Give him my regards and tell him Damascus is not comfortable for him. They don’t want him here. He should finish and leave.’ After returning to Beirut, I met with President Hariri and conveyed what Khaddam had advised. Hariri said, ‘Strange, explain. Colonel Maher al-Assad sent me with my bodyguard, El-Kakhi, the editor-in-chief of Al-Sharq newspaper, saying that he does not agree with the treatment of Lebanese-Syrian security agencies towards me, and, on the contrary, he wants and supports me?’ I told Hariri, ‘Honestly, I don’t know. I delivered Khaddam’s message as it is. If you want to reassure me, please call Khaddam yourself now and clarify the matter.’
Hariri complied with my request and called Khaddam, who asked, ‘What does Mohsen convey to me from you?’ Khaddam replied, ‘Yes, listen to him.’
The next day, Khaddam came to Beirut for medical tests at the American University Hospital. Hariri visited him at the hospital, and Khaddam asked, ‘Did Mohsen convey what I told you?’ Hariri replied positively. Khaddam then said, ‘Then, go ahead and leave.’ Hariri recounted to Khaddam what Maher al-Assad had sent through my bodyguard, El-Kakhi. Khaddam responded, ‘Maher al-Assad has nothing to do with the Lebanese file. Go ahead and leave.’
Hariri was not convinced by what Khaddam said, as I personally understood, because he believed Khaddam was no longer in a decision-making position in Syria, so ‘he speaks for himself,’ as Hariri told me.”
