Damascus has reiterated its stance on the situation in Lebanon. According to Syrian Vice President Abdel Halim Khaddam, Syria cannot be defeated in Lebanon and no one has the power to defeat Syria in that country. He also stated that the relationship between Syrians and Lebanese is stronger than the bond between the residents of the American states of California and New York.
In an interview with the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat, Khaddam emphasized that it was the Lebanese government that had invited Syria to come to Lebanon in 1976. He added that the Syrian presence in Lebanon was necessary to maintain the security of both countries. It should be noted that the Lebanese National Charter, which was drafted in 1943, prohibits the use of Lebanese territory to launch an attack against Syria.
Khaddam also confirmed that Israeli and Syrian forces had clashed during the Israeli invasion in 1982 and that the Israelis had advanced as close as 25 kilometers to Damascus.
