A potent threat to Syria rises in exile

Former Syrian Vice President Abdel-Halim Khaddam has become the country's first high-level official to break ranks with the Syrian government and join the country's external opposition, adding to a sense of unease on the Damascus street for the future of the regime.

From self-imposed exile in Paris over the past two weeks, Mr. Khaddam called on the Syrian opposition to join him in overthrowing the regime, calling President Bashar al-Assad a "traitor" who has caused "serious damage" to the country.

Since the beginning of the Iraq war, Syria has come under intense international pressure to close its borders to insurgents entering Iraq and stop supporting militant groups.

And after former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri's assassination in Beirut last February, protests on Lebanese streets forced the withdrawal of Syrian troops from the country. Since then, two United Nations investigative reports have found that Mr. Hariri's killing could not have occurred without the knowledge of high-ranking Syrian officials.

Khaddam's allegations that Mr. Assad threatened Hariri before he was killed may set off a new crisis between Syria and the UN committee looking into the Hariri assassination by bringing the inquiry one step closer to the presidency.

The investigative team, which interviewed Khaddam on Jan. 6, last week renewed its request to meet with Assad and Foreign Minister Farouq al-Sharaa. The Syrian government announced that Mr. Sharaa would face the commission. But Assad has maintained his immunity from questioning. On Sunday, Assad visited Saudi Arabia and Egypt, which have both played key roles in mediating between the UN and Syria.

With Khaddam's public campaign against Assad, the Syrian government may face its first real internal challenge from the country's frayed opposition. Until now there was no well-known Syrian figure to unify the opposition.

"He's absolutely an alternative because he's a well-known man," says a Syrian analyst who asked not to be named for fear of repercussions. "He knows how to deal with the people and the country. He has the backing of so many regional and local powers. Otherwise, how would you explain the fury of the government to his statements?"

Last week, the finance ministry froze the assets of Khaddam and his family. A few days earlier, the Syrian parliament called Khaddam a "traitor" and opened a criminal investigation into charges of treason and corruption. As a member of the Syrian government for more than 30 years, Khaddam grew to become the second most powerful man in Syria under Hafez al-Assad, Bashar's father, and was largely known for being the architect of Syria's Lebanon policy.

After serving as minister of foreign affairs and deputy prime minister, Khaddam was appointed vice president in 1984. He held the post until his resignation last summer. During his rule, Khaddam forged strong ties with Lebanon's Hariri. Like many other government leaders, Khaddam developed a reputation in Syria for fueling corruption through bribes and nepotism.

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