Syrian vice-president steps down

This resignation is intriguing (of course, it may not be accepted). Before Papa brought son Bashar back from London to groom him for President, Khaddam held the Lebanon file. He was the feared and omnipresent voice in Beirut. He knew all the players, their foibles and strenghts and he skillfully played them off against one another. The file was taken from Khaddam and given to Bashar--sort of President with training wheels. Bashar did not over-impress the cynical Lebanese but he was Papa's son.
In 2000, Pro-consul General Ghazi Kanaan tried to cook the parliamentary elections in Beirut, apparently with President Bashar's blessings.w When Hariri swept the table in the Beirut elections, it was Khaddam who embraced his return as PM, which was probably bitter medicine for Bashar.
Khaddam kept his contacts (and his "business" connections) not least with Hariri. Upon Hariri's assassination in February, Khaddam was the only Syria official welcomed into the Hariri family home.
This will be interesting to sort out.
BBC NEWS | Middle East | Syrian vice-president steps down