Mr. Abdul Haleem Khaddam, the Syrian Vice President, stated in a press release that the Non-Aligned Movement summit, which concludes its proceedings later today, will yield positive results regarding Arab issues, especially concerning the Arab-Israeli conflict and the situation in Iraq.
Regarding rumors about the cancellation of the upcoming Arab summit, he mentioned that he does not have information from Damascus on this matter, indicating that Syria naturally desires the upcoming Arab summit to provide an atmosphere conducive to its success and to help alleviate the war on Iraq, in addition to receiving support.
Responding to a question about the imminent American war on Iraq and the installation of an American military governor in Baghdad, as well as the possibility of establishing similar military governments in neighboring or other Arab countries, Mr. Khaddam believed that this war would represent a return to the worst stages of colonialism experienced by humanity for centuries. He emphasized that the Iraqi people, as well as Arabs and Muslims in general, vehemently reject any attempt at intervention in internal affairs or the return of foreign military or non-military rule in any Arab or Muslim country.
When asked by the UAE news agency about how Syria would deal with military rule, if it were to happen, Mr. Khaddam replied with a question, saying, “Do you think there is any Arab who has dignity to deal with an occupying force or accept the occupation of one Arab country by another, or any Muslim country, or any country in the world?”
