Khaddam: Iraq is our strategic depth; US cannot punish Syria
Syria-Regional, Politics, 9/6/2002

The Syrian Vice President Abdul Halim Khaddam stressed that the French President Jacque Chirac with whom he met on Thursday at the Elysee palace, shares Syria's concern over the possibility that the US will embark on the political option against Baghdad.

Khaddam said that Iraq is "the strategic depth for Syria." Later in the day, Khaddam held a press conference at the headquarters of the new Syrian ambassador in Paris, Mrs Siba Nasser, during which he explained the atmospheres of talks with Chirac, the Syrian position and the Arab and international issues regarding Iraq.

Replying to a question on Syria's position regarding certain international demands on changing the Iraqi regime as a solution for Iraq, Khaddam said "this matter relates to Iraq, rather than Syria or Turkey, Egypt, Iran or any other Arab country. The Iraqis are the ones who decide the fate of their country. We question, why the regime in Iraq has become now dangerous and was not so during the 1980s during the Iraqi- Iranian war? The heart of the matter relates to greater interests in the region. The question of the Iraqi regime is but a pretest for those who are planning to launch an aggression against Iraq and its people." On contacts between Syria and Iraq, Khaddam said that "contacts are usually made through governments and contacts are underway with Iraq. It is an Arab country, whose fate is linked with that of the Arabs. Iraq is Syria's strategic depth in her struggle and confrontation with Israel."

Replying to a question that Syria stood against Iraq in the past, Khaddam said "When Iraq committed a mistake by invading Kuwait we stood against it, and now it has been exposed to aggression and therefore we stand with it."

Khaddam considered that Bush's determination to take a decision not approving a Congressional decision to capitulate Syria reveals that the US President "made the decision in the interests of the US, in that Syria is not a marginal country in the region and the world, and Washington has no interests in that decision (ie to capitulate Syria) before the Congress as it is rather a decision in the interests of Israel, and therefore why Bush holds the American society responsible for the consequences of a decision that his country has no interests in it. Secondly Syria is not just a country that exists on the margin of the Earth. The Americans know Syria's role and we do not put our principles in one scale and our interests in another."

Previous Stories:
  Al-Majd: Certain Iraqi opposition papers banned in Syria   (9/4/2002)
  Railway agreement, Syrian- Iraqi joint projects; Ramadan: UN inspector will not pacify US war threats   (8/30/2002)
  Al-Hayat: Syria and the threat against Iraq, the region   (8/29/2002)
  Al-Qanat: Satterfield to convey US threats to Syria   (8/29/2002)
  Al-Watan: a forthcoming Syrian, Egyptian, Saudi summit   (8/26/2002)
  Al-Qabas: Syrian concern over expansion of war from Iraq   (8/24/2002)
  Al-Deyar: On al- Shara's current Arab tour   (8/22/2002)
  Al-Assad received US's Djerjian   (8/21/2002)
  Al-Assad confers with US team; for stronger ties with Lebanon   (7/29/2002)

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