Assad and Khaddam - used to be friends
Photo: AP
Syrian official: Khaddam vengeful, Israel gains
Rare interview with Israeli media outlet: Senior Syrian official slams Khaddam in exclusive talk with Ynet, after former vice president charges Assad involved in corruption and Hariri assassination. 'Khaddam wanted to succeed Hafez Assad and is motivated by vengeance only,' high-ranking source says. Official also thanks Arab-Israeli parties for 'being only ones to support Syria'
Ynet exclusive: Recent harsh remarks by former Syrian Vice President Abdul-Halim Khaddam, who charged President Bashar Assad was involved in the Hariri assassination, are part of a planned campaign aimed at pressuring and smearing Syria, a senior Syrian official told Ynet during a rare interview with an Israeli media outlet.
The high-ranking Syrian figure was never before interviewed by an Israeli media outlet and is intimately familiar with recent developments in Syria's corridors of power. He spoke to Ynet from Damascus on condition his name is not published.
The anti-Syria campaign "serves the Israeli government," the official charged.
Syria
Roee Nahmias
Comments by former Vice President Abdul-Halim Khaddam that President Bashar Assad had threatened Lebanese Premier Hariri sparked scathing reactions with lawmakers calling Khaddam be tried and sentenced for ‘lying’ and betraying country
The senior official told Ynet Syrian government members are furious with Khaddam over his comments, which he said stem from vengefulness directed as President Assad.
During an interview with al-Arabiya over the weekend, Khaddam charged Assad with complicity in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, and also claimed the Syrian leader was doing nothing to fight corruption.
"Khaddam wanted to succeed Assad Sr. (Basher's father) after he died. He's motivated only by vengeance," the Syrian source said, and added that in one of the urgent meetings following Hafez Assad's death, Khaddam stunned senior Ba'ath party members by announcing he saw himself as a leading candidate to assume the presidency.
"Senior Syrian officials remember this meeting well," the source told Ynet. "Those at the meeting were furious at the remarks, but Defense Minister Mustafa Talas' reaction was particularly memorable – he pulled out his handgun and pounded the table, turning to Khaddam and telling him: 'The masses outside are calling out the doctor's (Bashar Assad) name, and you're talking about taking up the post yourself? This is unthinkable!'"
According to the Syrian figure, that incident tainted Khaddam's image and he gradually lost stature as a result, and apparently began planning the day where he would lash out at the regime.
During the final period of his term, Khaddam realized he was being prevented from accessing important information and that Assad was consulting him only for the protocol, the senior source said.
"Khaddam indeed resigned officially," the source said, "but several months before the party convention in June it was clear to the vice president he was done in the eyes of Assad and his close associates."
Assad is corrupt? Khaddam is corrupt!
Regarding Khaddam's charges regarding Assad's corruption, the Syrian official ridiculed the claims, charging that Khaddam should be the last person to speak about the matter.
"He should explain where all his wealth was derived from. He should explain where he got all the houses and property he has in Syria and the palace he was able to build in France," the source said.
According to the official, Khaddam's annual salary totaled tens of thousands of dollars, which would allow him to live well in Syria but not the kind of wealth he has accumulated, which rivals those of Paris' wealthy.
The Syrian source suggested "Khaddam's accounts should be closely scrutinized as well as his financial ties with Hariri. This is the only reason Khaddam appears to be pained over Hariri's disappearance."
The source also noted Khaddam's son was detained over corruption charges, "and not just any corruption, but corruption that kills. Khaddam's son was arrested after an investigation revealed he signed agreements with international firms on removing nuclear waste to Syria territory. The father was kept out of the investigation because of special considerations."
Following Khaddam's interview with al-Arabia, Syrian officials slammed the former vice president, who said the regime's policies have led half the nation to look for food in the garbage. The officials wondered whether Syrians were "digging through the nuclear waste Khaddam brought into Syria."
Thanking Arab-Israeli parties
Regarding planned reforms in Syria, the senior official dismissed claims by Khaddam that Assad and veteran officials blocked planned reforms and made do with slogans instead.
"The vice president forgot to mention he was part of the same group that blocked the reforms, because genuine reforms and a genuine battle against corruption would have put him in prison due to cases and affairs I assume will be revealed soon," the Syrian official said, in what can be perceived to be a threatening tone directed at the rebellious Khaddam.
As it turns out, the Syrians closely examine developments in Israel as well. According to the senior official, Syria highly appreciates the pro-Syria rally organized by Arab organizations and parties in Israel. The Syrian figure noted that while the Arab world remains silent in the face of the threats and pressures exerted on Syria, "The Arabs in Israel are the only ones who display the spirit of Arab solidarity. We are very proud of it and thank our brothers in the 1948 borders."
