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| Syria-Lebanon |
| SOS from Syrian defectors |
| 2003-04-15 |
| Khalid Amin Al Hafidh, son of the former Syrian president Amin Al Hafedh, appealed to international and humanitarian organizations, in addition to the Syrian leadership, to save the lives of hundreds of Syrian defectors stuck on the Syrian-Iraqi boarders for three days, stressing that no Arab volunteer fighters are among them. "Nope. Nope. No volunteers. Maybe a few bodyguards..." Talking to Al Jazeera from Amman, Khalid Al Hafedh said the Iraqi government had received these Syrian defectors over 30 years ago, when they left after the 1966 coup. They are suffering extreme hardship, with little food or medical supplies. Most of those stuck on the border are children, women, and old people, he added. Al Hafidh said that one of his father's companions managed to call him from the Albu Kamal border town, asking him to contact Syrian officials and save their lives. US forces are approaching the nearby town of Al Qaem and it is feared that they may be mistaken for Arab volunteer fighters who had entered Iraq to fight US-led forces. Oh, I doubt it, if they're children, women, and old folks... "Through Al Jazeera I am sending an SOS to President Dr. Bashar Al Asad, the Syrian government, and all international and humanitarian organizations to save the lives of the defectors who were thrown out of Baghdad after the US troops had entered the Iraqi capital" he said. "I stress that their humanitarian situation is dire, they need to be rescued because their lives are threatened. They have no IDs or passports." I guess life's sometimes tough for hangers-on... "The Syrian government is apparently refusing to let these defectors into Syria, fearing that if it did so, the US would accuse it of aiding Arab volunteer fighters", he added. Amin Al Hafedh’s son said these Syrians had been driven out of their apartments in Haifa Street in Baghdad — formerly known as Al Jaefir. Saddam Hussein presented these flats to them. However, the old inhabitants of Haifa Street claim that President Hussein's government had confiscated their houses, demolished them, and built huge residential complexes in their place. Sammy rewarded them for their faithful service, did he? They were probably the ones who took care of his puppies and kittens, right? Amin Al Hafedh entered Iraq following the 1968 revolution in Iraq, becoming a member of the National Command of the Arab Baath Socialist Party. After assuming power, President Bashar Al Asad pardoned all Syrian defectors save those who had fled to Iraq. |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |