Khaddam: Lebanon Crisis Produced by Assad

by **Admin** Sun Mar 30, 2008 6:14 am

Former Syrian Vice-President Abdul Halim Khaddam said the Arab summit should not be held in Syria since the event could further persuade Damascus to maintain its current behavior.

Allowing what he called "the involved regime to host a summit will encourage it (Syria) to continue this behavior," Khaddam told MP Walid Jumblat's Progressive Socialist Party website.

"The principle calls for not convening the summit in Damascus because the ruling regime in Syria - which worked on dragging Lebanon to this critical stage - should be held accountable by the Arab regime," Khaddam said.

"The summit should have been held at another Arab country … and not held under its auspices," Khaddam added.

He indicated that the "key problem" in the summit to take place in Damascus March 29-30 was that the Syrian regime which "in both its behavior and policies created tremendous dangers that threaten the Arab world … has placed Lebanon in a state near explosion."

He also accused Damascus of causing a "national split in Lebanon, in addition to occupying the city center, intimidating Lebanese through assassinations and bombings and crippling national economy."

Addressing the Hizbullah-led opposition, Khaddam said "persistence in obstructing the course of political, economic and security life in the country will not protect Bashar al-Assad, but rather will speed up his collapse."

"The current crisis is not a Lebanese crisis; it is a Bashar Assad crisis which he produced due his behavior and policies."