From the Dept. of Must Have Hit a Nerve:The government-run Syrian Television on Saturday assailed the former vice president Abdel Halim Khaddam describing him as a witness with false testimony in the assassination of the former Lebanese premier Rafic Al-Hariri. Khaddam's description of the report by the head of the international commission investigating Al-Hariri's assassination as professional contradicted hundreds of reports and analyses by legal experts from various countries who affirmed that it was politicized, the Syrian Television said in a commentary.
The television was reacting to remarks made by Khaddam to Al-Arabia television network, broadcast on Friday.
It lashed out at the former vice president for failing to take into consideration many popular protests that were held in Syria to protest the strong external pressure targeting Syria. The Syrian TV said that what Khaddam, whom it accused as "loyal to a Lebanese party that stands against Syria", announced is off the position which Syria committed itself regarding Lebanon and that hinges on national reconciliation and stability of the Arab country, in addition to support to all Lebanese forces, figures and blocs that work in this direction.
The TV held Khaddam responsible for deterioration of the situation in Lebanon due to the accumulated damages that were result of his repeated errors while dealing with the Lebanese brothers as well as his tough way in addressing the Lebanese parties, in addition to many other factors, foremost the international and Zionist interventions in Lebanon's affairs.
It added, Khaddam who elaborated on developments of the Lebanese crisis, which clearly included defending policies and stances taken by one Lebanese party, has forgotten that he was stopped from follow up of the developments in Lebanon in 1998 and during the rule of late President Hafez Al-Assad, due to the accumulated damages resulting from his repeated errors.
It underscored "what recently happened in Lebanon was result of continued practices that accumulated throughout the past years whereby Khaddam was following up the developments and events in Lebanon and as major partner in the decision making process".
The TV lashed out at the poverty of the Syrian people indicating that he uttered expressions that hurt feelings of the people from his luxurious palace which the TV "excluded that he bought from his limited income as a high ranking Syrian staff member".
On considering Khaddam a preacher for reform and democracy the TV said "the mentality of Khaddam is the stumble block in the way of reform and democracy in the country. Getting rid of this mentality contributed to the recent push forward of the reform process "