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Abdul Halim Khaddam (عبد الحليم خدام), born in 1932 in the city of Baniyas, northwest Syria, is a Syrian politician and former Vice President of Syria. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... To suggest a relevant news story for the main page, refer to the criteria then add your suggestion at the candidates page. ... 1932 (MCMXXXII) is a leap year starting on Friday. ... Baniyas is a city of northwestern Syria that is located 55 km to the south of Latakia. ... A vice president is an officer in government or business who is next in rank below a president. ...

Political career

One of the few Sunni Muslims to make it to the top of the Alawite-dominated Syrian leadership, Khaddam was long known as loyalist of Hafez al-Assad, and held a strong position within the regime. He was acting President of Syria from June 10 to July 17, 2000, between the death of Hafez and the election of his son, Bashar al-Assad, as the new President. At the time, there were rumours in Damascus that Khaddam would try to seize power. Sunni Islam (Arabic سنّة) is the largest denomination of Islam. ... A Muslim is a believer in or follower of Islam. ... The Alawites form a Middle Eastern religious group prominent in Syria. ... Hafez al-Assad Hafez al-Assad (October 6, 1930 - June 10, 2000) was the president Syria from 1971 to 2000. ... This page lists presidents and other Heads of State of Syria. ... June 10 is the 161st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (162nd in leap years), with 204 days remaining. ... July 17 is the 198th day (199th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 167 days remaining. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... Bashar al-Assad Bashar al-Assad (بشار الاسد) (born September 11, 1965) is the current President of Syria (The Syrian Arab Republic) and the son of former President Hafez al-Assad. ...

As the new President strenghtened his grip on the Ba'thist bureaucracy, Khaddam, and other members of the "old guard" of the regime, gradually lost influence. He announced his resignation on June 6, 2005, during the Ba'th Party Conference. That made him one of the last influential members of the "old guard" to leave the top tier of the regime, but the announcement came at a point when his political wings had already been clipped. After resigning, he relocated to Paris, France, ostensibly to write his memoirs[1]. Bath Party flag The Arab Socialist Bath Party (also spelled Baath or Baath; Arabic: حزب البعث العربي الاشتراكي) was founded in 1945 as a radical, left-wing, secular Arab nationalist political party. ... June 6 is the 157th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (158th in leap years), with 208 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Regime Change with Backing from France and Saudi Arabia?

In an interview with Al Arabiya network from Paris, France, on December 30, 2005 Khaddam denounced Assad's many "political blunders" in dealing with Lebanon. He especially attacked Rustum Ghazali, former head of Syrian operations in Lebanon, and defended his predecessor Ghazi Kanaan - Syria's Interior Minister, who is believed to have committed suicide in October 2005. Khaddam also said that former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri, to whom Khaddam was considered close, "received many threats" from Syria's President Bashar al-Assad. The assassination of al-Hariri in February 2005 triggered the massive protests that eventually ended the 30-year long Syrian presence in Lebanon. Al-Arabiya is an Arabic-language satellite news channel based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates which began broadcasting in February 2003, launched with an investment of $300 million from the Saudi-owned MBC, the Lebanese Hariri Group, and others. ... The Eiffel Tower has become the symbol of Paris throughout the world. ... December 30 is the 364th day of the year (365th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 1 day remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... [[1]] Rustum Ghazali was appointed by Syrian president Bashar al-Assad in 2002 to succeed colonel Ghazi Kanaan as head of Syrian intelligence in Lebanon. ... Syrian Interior Minister who comitted suicide on the 12th of October, 2005 Mr. ... This page lists prime ministers of Lebanon. ... Rafiq Bahaa Edine Hariri (born November, 1944) is a Lebanese billionaire businessman, and was Prime Minister of Lebanon until his resignation on October 20, 2004. ... Cedar Revolution has become the Western medias most commonly used name for the chain of demonstrations and popular civic action in Lebanon (mainly Beirut) triggered by the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri on February 14, 2005. ... The Syrian presence in Lebanon, also known as the Syrian occupation of Lebanon, began in 1976 as a result of a Lebanese government invitation during Lebanons civil war, and ended in April 2005 in response to domestic and international pressure after the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister, Rafik...

The Syrian parliament responded the next day by voting to bring treason charges against him, and the Baath Party expelled him. Following the Khaddam interview, the UN Commission headed by Detlev Mehlis investigating the Hariri murder said it had asked the Syrian authorities to question Bashar al-Assad and Syria's Foreign Minister Faruq al-Sharaa. According to the Daily Star newspaper, the Commission has interviewed Khaddam on January 5, 2006. The Mehlis Report is the result of the United Nations investigation into the 14 February 2005 assassination of Lebanons former prime minister Rafik al-Hariri. ... Detlev Mehlis Detlev Mehlis (born 1949) is currently the Senior Public Prosecutor in the Office of the Attorney General in Berlin. ... Farouk al-Sharaa, also known as Farouq al-Sharaa (born 1938) is a Syrian diplomat. ... January 5 is the 5th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The main media groups backing Khaddam’s campaign to destabilize the Syrian regime are Al-Arabiyya, and to a lesser extent France’s Channel 3 FR3, which is no coincidence: FR3 TV is 100% owned by the French government and its editorial line has always been aligned with President Jacques Chirac and his pro-Saudi foreign policy. Al-Arabiya is an Arabic-language satellite news channel based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates which began broadcasting in February 2003, launched with an investment of $300 million from the Saudi-owned MBC, the Lebanese Hariri Group, and others. ... France 3 is the second largest French public TV network, part of the France Télévisions group also comprizing France 2, France 4, France 5 and RFO. It is made up of regional television stations and the program is slightly different depending on the broadcasting region, with only the... France 3 is the second largest French public TV network, part of the France Télévisions group also comprizing France 2, France 4, France 5 and RFO. It is made up of regional television stations and the program is slightly different depending on the broadcasting region, with only the... â–¶(?), (born November 29, 1932 in Paris) is a French politician who is currently President of the French Republic. ...

Al-Arabiyya is a satellite TV network owned by Sheikh Walid Ali Al-Ibrahim, a brother-in-law of Saudi Arabia's late King Fahd, and a self-proclaimed Wahhabi Islamic fundamentalist. Mr. Al-Ibrahim is also a significant shareholder of Saudi Oger SA, a French-Saudi joint-venture and the main investment vehicle for Rafiq Hariri’s real estate and construction ventures in Beirut, Jeddah and Riyadh. Al-Arabiya is an Arabic-language satellite news channel based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates which began broadcasting in February 2003, launched with an investment of $300 million from the Saudi-owned MBC, the Lebanese Hariri Group, and others. ... King Fahd of Saudi Arabia King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz (born in Riyadh in 1923) is the king and prime minister of Saudi Arabia and leader of the House of Saud. ... Wahhabism (sometimes spelled Wahabbism or Wahabism) is a movement of Islam named after Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab (1703–1792). ... Rafiq Bahaa Edine Hariri (born November, 1944) is a Lebanese billionaire businessman, and was Prime Minister of Lebanon until his resignation on October 20, 2004. ...

References

• John Devlin, The Baath Party: A History from Its Origins to 1966, Stanford, Hoover Institution Press, 1976 (ISBN: 0817965613)
• Derek Hopwood, Syria: Politics and Society, London, Unwin Hyman, 1988. (ISBN: 0044450397)

London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ...

External links

• Political biography at "Middle East Intelligence Bulletin", February 2000
• Ex-Syrian VP denounces government: report (Reuters) accessed on December 30, 2005
• Hariri threatened by Syria head BBC, December 30, 2005
• Former Syrian VP says Assad was involved in Hariri's death Haaretz, December 31, 2005
• Syria party kicks out 'traitor' BBC, January 1, 2006
• UN asks to meet Syrian president, BBC, January 2,2006
• The Fox Speaks - Sami M. Moubayed in Al-Ahram Weekly

Template:Asia-politicians-stub Reuters Group plc LSE: RTR NASDAQ: RTRSY is best known as a news service that provides reports from around the world to newspapers and broadcasters. ... December 30 is the 364th day of the year (365th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 1 day remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Al-Ahram, founded in 1875, is the oldest daily newspaper in the Arab world. ... Hafez al-Assad Hafez al-Assad (October 6, 1930 - June 10, 2000) was the president Syria from 1971 to 2000. ... This page lists presidents and other Heads of State of Syria. ... Bashar al-Assad Bashar al-Assad (بشار الاسد) (born September 11, 1965) is the current President of Syria (The Syrian Arab Republic) and the son of former President Hafez al-Assad. ...