Damascus: Two days after his appearance on TV and declaring his divergence from the Baathist regime, which he had co-created in 1970, former Syrian Vice-President Abdul Halim Khaddam's interview is still sending shockwaves throughout Syria.
Many Syrians were alarmed by Khaddam's support to former UN judge Detlev Mehlis, who investigated the murder of former Lebanese premier Rafik Al Harriri and incriminated Syrian officials in Hariri's murder.
Apart from Khaddam's accusations of the regime in Damascus being corrupt, he criticised both Syria's Foreign Minister Farouk Al Shar'a, whom he accused of being responsible for UN Resolution 1559, and General Rustom Gazaleh, the former director of Syrian intelligence in Lebanon.
'Dangerous'
Dr George Jabbour, a member of the Syrian People's Assembly and an advisor to former President Hafez Al Assad spoke to Gulf News about the former Vice-President.
"Abdul Halim Khaddam's interview was important, dangerous and surprising. Important because it is from an important man who has had his hallmark on Syrian politics for 42 years, since the Baath Revolution. It is dangerous because it tries to weaken the regime of which he was a symbol and he does that without presenting himself as an alternative yet this option was there in his interview. It is surprising because what he did was not expected." Jabbour added: "He is 75 years and actually condemns himself when he condemns the regime."
He wrapped up saying: "If Khaddam is a master politician and tactician for over 30 years, by doing what he did, he proved himself a master in stupidity."
Other Syrians were more aggressive, especially in the Syrian Parliament where Syrian deputies said that Khaddam was a "corrupted traitor" and a "dormant agent", demanding that he be tried in abstentia for "high treason".
Parliamentarian Umaima Faddoul said: "I ask the Syrian leadership to try him for humiliating 10 million Syrians when he said half of the Syrian people are eating from the garbage."
The Syrian Opposition, however, is not too angry with what Khaddam said on TV. Dr Ridwan Ziyadeh, a researcher and political activist, told Gulf News: "Khaddam's interview was balanced politically and did not insult anybody. It was serious, responsible and full of detailed information. Regardless of who said it and what was said about his corruption, his history and role in decision-making qualifies him to speak about Syrian foreign affairs, its policies, and problems."
Ziyadeh added: "What was regrettable was the secession of the People's Assembly. We have long been demanding that parliamentary secessions be broadcasted live on television but after what we saw we would like to think seriously about withdrawing our request. It gave an unrealistic picture of Syrians and their discourse."
Rustom Gazaleh, according to Khaddam, had embezzled $35 million (Dh128.45 million) from the Al Madina Bank in Lebanon, ill-treated Lebanon's politicians, and repeatedly insulted and threatened Prime Minister Harriri. Khaddam went further and accused President Bashar Al Assad of refusing to share power and refusing to arrest or dismiss officials involved in the Harriri assassination. Khaddam had asked Bashar to "cut the head of this murderer [in reference to Gazaleh]" but Bashar asked him to wait for the Baath Party Conference of June 2005 saying "we cannot punish anybody now".
He pointed out that after the conference, no punishment for Gazaleh came forth. At this point, Khaddam said he decided to resign and "side with the homeland because it is the constant fact, whereas the regime is a transient state in the history of the country".
The writer is a political commentator
