Press Office

Aired: Thursday, 12 January, 2006 13:57
World News Tonight with James Rubin

Partial Transcript of a Sky News interview with:

 

Abdel Khaddam, Ex Syrian Vice President.

 

The interview was conducted in Paris by Tim Marshall.  The full interview can be seen on Sky News’ World News Tonight, 8pm, Thursday 12.01.06

Any quotes used from this interview must be credited to Sky News’ World News Tonight with James Rubin.

 

 

Ex Syrian Vice President, Abdel Khaddam.

I want to give a message to the Syrian people and it is in their best interest to promote an emerging democracy, because this is the way to get a proper.

Sky News’ Foreign Affairs Editor, Tim Marshall.

By doing this you’ve been called a traitor and your life is in danger, is it worth it?

Ex Syrian Vice President, Abdel Khaddam.

Syria deserves a lot of sacrifices, my being called a traitor; this is just a cover up for the extreme and repeated failures of Bashar al Assad’s policies in Syria.  In order to cover it up, they just blame it on other people.

Who would believe that Abdul Khaddam who has served his country faithfully for a very long time believes he is a traitor just because he confronted and talked about the activity and the failures of Bashar al Assad.

A traitor is a guy who puts his country at risk and to deteriorate the country and work against the interests of the country.

Sky News’ Foreign Affairs Editor, Tim Marshall.

Is President Assad a traitor?

Ex Syrian Vice President, Abdel Khaddam.

YES!  I call him a traitor for a number of reasons.  On internal policy he had so much corruption within Syria and within the close circle around himself. He encouraged corruption within Syria to such an extent that we see his cousins controlling the economic situation in Syria and as far as foreign policy is concerned there are a number of fatal mistakes and one of the most famous fatal mistakes by President Bashar al Assad was the extension of the tenure of President Lahoud. This decision by President Assad to extend the term of President Lahoud has caused great humiliation for Syria on the world level. There is a break up of relationship between the two peoples. And then there was the unfortunate assassination of the Rafik Hariri.  There was the humiliating retret of Syria forces from Lebanon. And the total isolation of Syria around the world.

Sky News’ Foreign Affairs Editor, Tim Marshall.

You are on record as saying the president threatened Hariri. Why can’t you go one step further and say he actually ORDERED the assassination of Hariri, because what you actually say is it was ordered at the highest level. Why can’t you state publicly that the president did it?

Ex Syrian Vice President, Abdel Khaddam.

I mean, if you go through the facts, and if you study them and have the belief it was Bashar Al Assad who has started this negative and hatred campaign which was formulated and became very intense ten days prior to the assassination plot. So whoever studied and tried to bring all the things together would jump to the conclusion that Bashar al Assad did it.

Sky News’ Foreign Affairs Editor, Tim Marshall.

Did Bashar Al Assad in your view order the assassination?

Ex Syrian Vice President, Abdel Khaddam.

In my belief yes. My personal belief yes.  But at the end of the day there is an investigation committee and it is their duty to say who did it.  I will leave it to the investigate committee to give the final decision.

Sky News’ Foreign Affairs Editor, Tim Marshall.

You said he was threatened. I’ve heard that one of Assad’s people had Hariri’s arm behind his back… and he had a bloody nose.

Ex Syrian Vice President, Abdel Khaddam.

What I know about the meeting is what Bashar Al Assad told me about the meeting… and after the meeting I was told Ghrazzi Kheenan what happened… and two weeks after the meeting I met Mr Hariri and he told me about his feelings and he said he would never forget this meeting in the whole of his life.  He was humiliated so much and he can’t believe what happened during this meeting.

Sky News’ Foreign Affairs Editor, Tim Marshall.

Physical violence?

Ex Syrian Vice President, Abdel Khaddam.

I don’t think so.

Sky News’ Foreign Affairs Editor, Tim Marshall.

Your political life is not finished you would like to go back to Syria.  How do you answer the changes that you have been part of the regime you now criticise?

Ex Syrian Vice President, Abdel Khaddam.

Yes I was a major part of the regime up until 98 I was planning and executing the foreign policy of Syria.  Internal politics wasn’t my duty… it used to be handled by the Prime Minister of Syria.

Sky News’ Foreign Affairs Editor, Tim Marshall.

Therefore do you think the regime is breaking …and do you want to become President of Syria.?

Ex Syrian Vice President, Abdel Khaddam.

My primary ambition is to see democracy prosper in Syria. And my ambition is to change the way Syria is being led. Today it is led by one person, and everything is centralised about this one person.  Syria will come to the point when there is a democratically elected government and parliament… and they will be handling the policies and leadership of Syria.  All my other ambitions are secondary at the time being.

About the regime. Yes, the regime is breaking up… and I see him breaking up in the very near future.

 

Issued By:

Charlotte Reed

Publicity Assistant, Sky News

t   0207 705 3417

m 07920 027829

charlotte.reed@bskyb.com

www.sky.com/publicity