Syrian Vice President Abdel Halim Khaddam expressed his view that the pressure being exerted by the United States on Syria is “futile and ineffective.”
During a press conference held in Damascus, Khaddam stated, “These pressures are entirely futile and have no impact on us. We are confident that such pressure will not yield any negative consequences.” He further added, “We exercise patience because we are dedicated to a significant cause that we must not compromise.”
Responding to a question about the Syria Accountability Act being debated in the US Congress, Khaddam stated, “Syria is a nation with a clear national policy. Syria has not posed a threat to the security and stability of the United States.”
The Syria Accountability Act aims to compel Syria to end its occupation of Lebanon, cease support for terrorism, and abandon weapons of mass destruction.
Khaddam also remarked, “Syria is a country with national aspirations and has territorial concerns. There is the Palestinian issue and the Iraq issue… All these matters are of concern to Syria. Naturally, we had hoped that certain American politicians would take into account the concerns and interests of others, rather than focusing solely on specific interests.”
The Syrian Vice President emphasized, “What matters to us is the restoration of Iraq’s sovereignty and independence (…) This aligns with our interests as Syrians and Arabs. The Americans have their own interests.”
He underscored that “adherence to the United Nations Charter and international legitimacy and enabling the Iraqi people to determine their own fate” is the key to resolving the problems.
American pressure on Syria has intensified since the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime on April 9.
On Tuesday, the White House criticized Syria’s support for groups like the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas and Hezbollah as “unacceptable” and cautioned Damascus against acquiring weapons of mass destruction.
On the same day, US Deputy Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, John Bolton, informed a congressional committee that Syria poses a threat to international security due to its ties to Islamic groups and suspected production of weapons of mass destruction.
However, he clarified that “there is no evidence to substantiate that the Syrian government seeks to provide weapons of mass destruction to terrorist groups.”
Syrian Foreign Minister Farouq al-Shara stated last week that his country is “prepared to cooperate” with the United States “if American requests fall within the framework of international legitimacy and serve the unity of Iraq and a fair resolution to the Arab-Israeli conflict.”
