Just heard Jumblatt's interview on Future TV; a venue through which, as the reporter said, Jumblat was able to respond point-by-point to Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah's New TV interview which touched on Jumblatt's latest statements and the March 14 bloc.
I am not going to recount the interview but I must state the following striking points made by Jumblatt:
One, Jumblatt said that the point of contention between him and Sayyid Nasrallah is basically on their position towards the Syrian regime.
Second, when asked whether Jumblatt would be willing to meet with Sayyid Nasrallah, he replied that any talks or discussions should take place through the Cabinet; that's the priority now.
Third, when asked to respond to Sayyid Nasrallah's point that he gave up his son for Lebanon, what more should they do to prove that they're Lebanese, Jumblatt said that he wished if his father Kamal Jumblatt was killed by the Israelis; unfortunately, he was killed by the Syrian regime. He added that he appreciates Hizbullah's sacrifices, but that many parties and groups in Lebanon have given martyrs as well. He also added that his belief is that Hafez Assad's reign was far from being humane; however, he was forced to concede to the Syrian forces upon his father's assassination in order to protect his people during a difficult time in Lebanon's history.
Fourth, he asserts Lebanon's right to decide what is good for itself; so he thanks Arab efforts for helping us, yet at the end of the day, we should be able to make the final decision.
Last but not least, he said that if Ahmadinejad and Bashar Assad both agreed back in Damascus that they endorse resistance, then why isn't Ahmadinejad sending his army to the Golan Heights, and why isn't Assad opening up the Golan front for resistance fighting?...
Of course, the two-hour long interview contained more pertinent issues fleshed out and explained by Jumblatt, which will most probably be in Saturday's press.
On another point, House Speaker Berri and Sayyid Nasrallah visited Damascus today to meet up with Iran's President Ahmadinejad. Just an FYI!
"Nobody knows how many rebellions, besides political rebellions, ferment in the masses of life which people earth."
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20 comments:
well said walid!
I LOVE walid jumblatt!He is the man and the leader of the ANTI-syrian stance. as for the PRO syrian nasrallah and berri (and that RAT lahoud)there day is all coming when they can no longer look towards those syrian clowns for "assistance" as the syrian regime will be gone very shortly and syria will change as we know it! Thank God too!
LONG LIVE LEBANON!
Walid Joumblatt is desperate. In Lebanon today there are three powers: a) The Sunni block is supported by Saudi arabia and the business world. b) The Shias are supported by the powerful Iran and soon Irak. c) The Christian are supported by the EU. That leaves the druze community in the cold. That explains all the effort of Joumblatt to get the US on his side by blaming Syria for the evils of the area and inviting the US to invade Syria. In addition, his political survival depends on the disagreements between these 3 blocks and he is adding his pinch of salt to make sure an alliance does not happen. Yes, Joumblatt is desperate and pathetic.
well guy above, your analysis is shit.
"he was forced to concede to the Syrian forces upon his father's assassination in order to protect his people during a difficult time in Lebanon's history."
Lebanon's entire "history" has been a diffcult time. Does anyone have any guarantee that "Walid" will not concede again?
Just a thought, especially with the high cost that "protecting his people" has had on other people.
Doha, the christians have historically always been backed by the West more particularly by France (Lebanon was a french protectorate). Hariri's relation with France is only a business relationship. In the struggle between the three groups, Joumblatt is concerned about keeping some power to the Druze community. When the syrians were in power, he seeems to have put aside he revengeful feelings concerning his father and has got along rather well with Syria. Now that the Syrians are weak, he is venting his hatred and hoping to see some justice done and at the same time get the favors of the West.
I doubt he will succeed. While his father was a man of strong convictions and charisma. Waleed has none of these.
Jounblatt cries now for his father? He who is responsible for 7000 deaths and 200 000 ethnically cleansed suddenly sprouts a conscience? allow me a little Ha!
He also hinted that hizbullah knew about the hariri assassination, said that the SLA dead were martyrs.
Most imprtantly I wonder how much he can push the sunni hordes with him. He's counting on unabashed support from hariri and his followers, but that is a dangerous game.
Interestingly,Aon proclaim only a couple of days ago that his closest allies in lebanon are hizballah. Please dicsuss...
FGA
Sorry to tell you that they are all full of Sh...
When whores start praising the virtue of virginity
you have to know that the ending wont be happy!
After reading Nasrallah's interview and the perversity of Jumblatt actions during all the events that preceded Mr Hariri's murder, I realized that Jumblatt had one obession: Punish Syria of the death of his father. A commentator has already emitted a theory that Jumblatt with Shehabi and Kenaan have beeen plotting to eradicate the House of the Assad after the death of Hafez Al Asaad. I guess Jumblatt is watching with delight the international upheaval against the house of Asad that the murder of Hariri has created. Jumblatt triumphs and say "it is not Israel who killed my father, but the syrians"
The Israeli rejoice because Syria, their arch ennemy is condamned and pressured by the international community and the Hezb is cornered.
Is it just a coincidence that the objectives of Israel and Waleed Jumblatt match so well and were so perfectly achieved by the assassination of Hariri? "A qui le crime profite"
Doha, let me remind you that the southern border of Lebanon was not freed by UN security resolutions nor by the lebanese army, nor by lebanese emotionnal expression of patriotism. It was through a confrontation with the israelis, a war that had its toll on hezbollah and syrians soldiers.
Unfortunatly and we see it everyday (Irak, Israel) in this area of the world, power and force rules: The decision about the lebanese syrian border will be the result of the confrontation of the powers in presence. Lebanon is mined by its internal divisions and has no power whatsoever to influence this much. Sorry but episodic emotional and patriotic outcries don't weight much in today politics...
Anon 9:46
"A qui le crime profite"
Then I think based on your ignorant uneducated logic.. Jumblatt and Saad both killed their fathers!
Ramzi, I will put it in more plain words for you: I am saying that Waleed Jumblatt has always wanted to venge the murder of his father. He know seems to believe (rightly or wrongly) that he has finally succeeded since the Asad house and Syria are under international siege. The death of Hariri has been a golden opportunity for him to achieve his vengeance on Syria. I think he will do anything to prevent Syria to get off the hook, even at the cost of lebanon's national interests. This is why I think he is a dangerous man.
I did not say anything about Saad Hariri.
Since we were kids our parents told us the enmy is Israel. I was a young PSP fighter in Chouayfat during Israel invasion to Lebanon in 1982. at the Khaldi intersection we fought side by side with Amal,PLO and the Communist Party for 16 hours against the invasion from the sea. In the end the airforce destroyed us and we suffered lot of casualties. During that battle,and many more, there was not a single Syrian soldier to be seen. They ran away like cowards. Since then I learned who are the enmy of Lebanon!
Jumblatt is right. Both Israel and Syria are the enmies of Lebanon.
Anon 2:33pm,
Jumblatt is dangerous!? And he has the backing of who to make him dangerous? The Druze in Syria and Palestine!? The Druze now have zero backing from anyone. The only protection they have is a democratic Lebanese state.
The real danger are the armed Palastenians and the Armed Hizb fighters. Backed by Syria and Iran. If the Lebanese army can't spread to all points of the country, and if the government can demarcate a border. Then we do not have a country. We have what we had since 1975 a stalemate with the major issues of the war unresolved.
I think Jumblatt is raising the heat because he is braver since he is a marked man anyway and Hizb are not going to give in an inch unless the heat is turned up on them.
All the coddeling by March 14groups and Jumblatt, Aoun et al. did not move them one inch away from their demand to stay armed.
Hizb's demands are all based on their weapons if you noticed! They are not asking for additional constitutional power for the Shiite, nor for the government to increase services to the South etc. Those demands are legitimate in my opinion.
But no they want to keap their arms, because their arms represent an Iranian and Syrian CARD in Lebanese and International Politics. That's what is Sacred and that's what is really meant when Nasrallah talks about his honor.
Ramzi, this is exactly because Jumblatt has no powerful support that he is trying by any mean to sabotage any arrangement between the groups who have the power that will leave him and the druze community in the cold. His political survival is at stake, this is why he is making so much noise. In Lebanon each leader has his own secret agenda!
anon 107pm, you said "to sabotage any arrangement between the groups who have the power"
I am worried about these "arrangements" as is Jumblatt. I mean would one of them be the Saudi brokered deal? That may have gone through had it not been for Jumblatt and Gegege? No?
Also what kind of compromise can we achieve with Hizballah now!? The only ones they accept would compromise the National integrity of Lebanon as a viable state.
Ramzi, you should not doubt about the Hezb attachment to the national integrity of Lebanon: They have liberated the south when no security resolutions and no lebanese army succeeded for years.
I think that if the Hezb trust the government (they did first and then were deceived), there could be a comproimise for example where the Hezb fighters will merge with the regular Lebanese army as special forces etc..
The Hezb advocates setting up some kind of relation as soon as possible with Syria and they are right. The investigations and the international tribunal could take years to set up, and in the meantime the economy of Lebanon (the gaz from Syria, the commercial road access, the falling tourism) is suffering. Lebanon cannot afford to boycott Syria for long time and they must find some kind of temporary arrangement. This is exactly what Jumblatt does not want, as he wants the skin of Bashar Al Asad and would sabotage any deal that may save Syria's face. This is why I think he is dangerous because his personal interests pass before Lebanon national interest.
A gorrila operation was needed in the south to keap the area inhospitable to Isreali settlement I agree. But when Isreal decided to leave they would have preferred an orderly withdrawel via some agreement with the Lebanese government. That was not allowed so that Hizb gets the full credit. Hizballah gets massive funding from Iran for Schools and Hospitals in the South again to make Hizb powerful. The Lebanese Government and Army are weak because the Syrians and Iranians want it to be weak. So people have less and less faith in the government and the army.
You said "Hezb trust the government (they did first and then were deceived)" What are your facts on this. Hizb was coddled by the March 14 group and they got nothing in return. Hizb is not willing to compromise at all! They will say statements here and there but when it comes to negotiations they will not budge. Jumblatt tried since the elections of 2004 to be on their side and get them to budge and nonthing happen. Where is this deception that you are talking about!?
You said "some kind of relation as soon as possible with Syria and they are right". Again Siniora and Jumblatt spent many months saying we want EQUEL relations with Syria. How does Syria respond? No demarcation of borders, no Embassy in Beirut and a continuation of Assasinations. Siniora said "They should get used to us as an independent country. First the killing machine has to stop." Just last week Bashar Assad said "Syria will always be Lebanon's big sister." SO there you have it what kind of relation are we talking about with Syria!? Again you see why Jumblatt is frustrated.
You said "This is why I think he is dangerous because his personal interests pass before Lebanon national interest. " Great so Hizballah now have Lebanons national interests and Jumblatt does not. Lets look at actions. Actions speak louder then words. Under Hizballah we would still be under Syrian occupation!! FACT! I may not be Jumblatt fan, but he has done a lot to help Lebanon in the last year and half, just look at his actions.
Doha,
Et tu Brute??
"And as for the high cost of protecting his people: I think that during the civil war, every group fought and killed; no one, except for a few amongst Lebanon's politicians, have not dipped their hands in blood. So Jumblatt is no different than others."
I have always read and enjoyed your well-thought posts and comments, so I've never imagined you capable of repeating such empty clichés. Your comment above made much sense, until the final sentence, why couldn't you have left it there? The problem with our past is a heavy one, and should never be rejected like that. It is one of the reasons almost all our politicians lack credibility or influence (ex-warlords are influential, while they are far from being the most credible). I feel I have the right to hate Jumblatt's guts, without having to justify it by arguing with what he says. The same goes for many other politicians. That feeling is dangerous, because if the civil war becomes a taboo and we are no longer interested to know what happened, this feeling some of us have will grow to include all politicians, even the ones who didn't order kidnappings and massacres.
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