Khaddam recounts the details of his appointment as Vice President and the thwarting of the coup attempt
After a period, President Hafez returned home, and efforts continued to isolate Rifaat within military circles. Colonel Ali Doba, and Brigadiers Ali Haydar, Shafiq Fayadh, and Ibrahim Al-Safi visited military units. During a lunch hosted by a brigade commander near Takiyah in the Zabadani area, the visitors discussed the situation and accused Colonel Rifaat Al-Assad of conspiracy. Brigadier Shafiq Fayadh was particularly harsh.
That evening, there was a meeting in the leadership, and when I headed to the leadership building, I was surprised to find dozens of soldiers from the Defense Brigades scattered in the leadership courtyard and corridors. Most leadership members were present in the meeting hall. Shortly after the meeting began, Colonel Rifaat entered wearing his military uniform, holding a set of papers, and requested to speak. He was highly emotional and said, “The army is mobilized, tanks are loaded, and officers are awaiting orders to move. There are traitors and conspirators in the army, Ali Doba, Ali Haydar, Shafiq Fayadh, Ibrahim Al-Safi, and Adnan Badr Al-Hasan. Now the leadership must decide to expel them from the party and bring them to trial. They have insulted me and slandered me, and my dignity is the president’s dignity, for I am his brother. Now you must decide to appoint me as the head of the military bureau, and I request an immediate vote on this proposal.”
Hafez al-Assad shakes hands with an officer, and to his left is his brother Rifaat
And indeed, the Assistant Secretary-General of the ruling Ba’ath Party, Mashariqa, put the proposal to vote, and those who voted in favor included Mashariqa, Tawfiq Saleh, Saeed Hamadi, and Wahib Tanous. The proposal was rejected, and Colonel Rifaat’s emotions intensified. Tlass tried to calm Colonel Rifaat, telling him, “Abu Dureid, these are your comrades and colleagues. Today, you are in disagreement, but tomorrow you may reconcile, so I hope you can put this matter to rest.” At this point, Colonel Rifaat became more agitated and stood up, wanting to leave the room.
Khaddam recounts, “I shouted at him loudly, ‘Rifaat, sit down! I have something you must hear. These tanks are not yours or your father’s property. This army is not a tool for rebellions and disgraceful acts. If you want to stage a coup, go ahead and do it. Every time one of you has a few tanks, you want to ride on our shoulders. A coup, Rifaat, is not a joke; it involves cutting heads off.’ He fell silent. Then he said, ‘I didn’t say I want to stage a coup, and I didn’t threaten. I filed a complaint with the leadership.’ I responded, ‘Everything is recorded.’ And he calmed down. The leadership continued to discuss its agenda. After the meeting ended and I returned home, I called President Hafez and informed him of what happened in the meeting. He replied, ‘He wants to stage a coup; let him.'” He continued, “After a while, President Hafez called me and said he asked Zuhair Mashariqa, and he replied that the session was normal and calm. I said, ‘This information relayed to you is not accurate.’ So I asked the president to question Tlass, Al-Shihabi, and listen to the recorded tape. He replied, ‘Is it possible for Zuhair to lie in this way?’ I answered, ‘Please make sure.’ After half an hour, he called me again and said, ‘I asked Mustafa and Hikmat, and they confirmed what you said. How can that scoundrel Zuhair Mashariqa lie to me in this way?’ I replied, ‘The problem with the party is the abundance of scoundrels in its leadership.'”
Khaddam to Rifaat al-Assad: Every time one of you has a few tanks he wants to ride on our shoulders. The coup, Rifaat, is not a joke. It involves cutting throats.
Rifaat… and a Plan for Division
Tensions persisted in the country, and one day an officer from the “Defense Brigades” requested to meet with President Hafez al-Assad, claiming to have important matters to discuss. The president received him, and the officer informed him of a plan being orchestrated by Colonel Rifaat al-Assad. The plan aimed to strip the coastal region and parts of the provinces of Homs, Hama, and Idlib, establishing a separate state under Rifaat’s rule. The president was appalled by this madness and decided to resolve the issue and get rid of his brother Rifaat.
As President Hafez contemplated using force against Rifaat, he realized that such action might lead to massacres that could jeopardize the regime. Hence, he opted for a more peaceful approach. Meanwhile, mediators multiplied between the two brothers, including Jamil al-Assad, Brigadier Naji Jameel, and Brigadier Mohammed Ibrahim al-Ali, the commander of the People’s Army.
During a meeting between Mohammed Ibrahim al-Ali and Jamil al-Assad, they discussed the situation and the necessity of resolving the problem. Jamil suggested to Mohammed Ibrahim al-Ali that he convey an idea he was contemplating. The proposal was to have President Hafez, Colonel Rifaat, and Jamil al-Assad reside in the Republican Palace, away from their wives, who were considered the source of problems. They would manage the affairs of the state, and in addition, Mohammed Ibrahim al-Ali would cook their meals. Brigadier Mohammed Ibrahim al-Ali sarcastically dismissed the suggestion, stating that no one would entertain the thought of sharing power with the president in his authority.
Khaddam notes, “I learned from one of the officers working in the palace that efforts were being made by the (guides) to persuade their officers to abandon Rifaat. Mohammed Ibrahim al-Ali, the commander of the People’s Army, played a role in this regard. Indeed, their spiritual leader instructed them to relinquish Rifaat and commit to President Hafez.”
Hafez al-Assad decided to appoint Khaddam as Vice President of the Republic, and appointed Rifaat al-Assad and Zuhair Masharqa as his deputies “to end Rifaat’s problem and remove him from the army.”
Hafez al-Assad to his younger brother: “Do you want to overthrow the regime? Here I am; I am the regime.” Then he offered him a safe exit to an exile of his choosing.
Rifaat, the Vice President, Responds
On March 30, 1984, Rifaat responded to this move by ordering his soldiers to enter Damascus with clear instructions to seize power. They positioned themselves at strategic points throughout Damascus and its surroundings, making it easy to shell the city. Rifaat’s forces faced the pro-president supporters, including men like Ali Haydar from the Special Forces and Adnan Makhlouf from the Republican Guard, a force formed to reduce Rifaat’s influence.
Patrick Seale, the author of “Asad: The Struggle for the Middle East,” wrote that if the forces of both sides had clashed in Damascus, “the destruction would have been immense and would have marred the image of the regime irreparably… Hafez left enough rope for Rifaat to hang himself.”
Hafez al-Assad and his brother Rifaat, with the former’s son Basil in the middle
He donned military attire, and accompanied by his eldest son Basil, who would become his right-hand man until his death in a car accident in early 1994, the elder brother—the President—went to the military headquarters of Rifaat. Tlass, in a text titled “Three Months that Shook Syria,” recounts that General Makhlouf called him, saying that the President had headed alone to his brother Rifaat’s headquarters in the Mezzeh area. Before leaving, he gave Makhlouf an order that if he did not return within an hour, he should tell General Tlass to execute the plan to confront Rifaat’s forces.
Here, Khaddam mentions that the elder brother said to the younger brother, “Do you want to overthrow the regime? Here I am; I am the regime”… and then offered him a safe exit to a place of his choosing.