Abdel-Halim Khaddam dismissed the retrieve-memorandum against him, which Syria sent to Interpol, saying it "indicates either their [Syria's] ignorance of the law or their stupidity." In an exclusive interview with The Daily Star, Khaddam, the former Syrian vice president who defected earlier this year and now lives in Paris, said Interpol had no authority to carry out the memorandum.Syrian Interpol had faxed the memorandum to the French-bureau of the Interpol Saturday, according to Houssam-Eddine Habach, the Syrian lawyer who filed a lawsuit against Khaddam accusing him of treason and "jeopardizing Syria." Khaddam was also charged with embezzlement by the Syrian judiciary last month. "Interpol is banned from interfering in cases related to politics, military, ethnic fights and religious matters," Khaddam said. "The case filed against me is set before the military court thus it is a military case and out of Interpol's jurisdiction - it is also a political case," he said.
Khaddam also responded to the embezzlement charges. "I dare them to publish the documents they say they have; they have no documents and they are just bluffing. They have brought the same charges against 25 people from my family and my grandchildren. The Syrian intelligence has forbidden any lawyer to defend me. It is a vindictive and malicious lawsuit which has no value." He said, adding: "They [Syrian regime] say that I made contact with a foreign country to prepare an act of aggression against Syria."