Jumblat Mocks Paris Demo Spearheaded by 'No. 1 Terrorist': Targeting Alawites Serves Assad

Progressive Socialist Party chief MP Walid Jumblat said on Monday that targeting Jabal Mohsen and the Alawites “serves the purpose of the Syrian regime,” as he strongly condemned the double suicidal bombing that rocked the pro-Assad Tripoli district.

He also stressed his support for Sunday's rally against terrorism in France while questioning the participation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In his weekly column in the PSP's al-Anbaa electronic newspaper, Jumblat strongly condemned “the terrorist act that targeted the innocent, unarmed citizens of Jabal Mohsen.”

Two suicide bombers blew themselves up on Saturday inside a cafe in Jabal Mohsen which left 9 dead and 37 injured.

Jumblat stated that “the awareness of the people of Tripoli and their wisdom are helping to preserve stability,” while raising a question mark over the “objectives and real motives behind such acts.”

“Were those sides seeking to target Alawites wherever they are or are they working on changing the Syrian regime to pave the way for a free, democratic and pluralistic Syria?” Jumblat wondered.

The MP explained that Alawites in Syria have suffered “like all other Syria's religions and sects from the cruelty of the Syrian regime and its reckless policies that drove the country to civil war.”

He also declared that such operations that target Alawites fall in the interest of the Syrian regime as they might automatically push them to “cling to the regime.”

Turning to other issues, the PSP chief asked “isn’t it ironic for someone like Benjamin Netanyahu to spearhead a rally against terrorism while he is the leader of the Zionist regime and the world's number one terrorist, who committed the ugliest massacres in Palestine and the Arab world.”

He wished if “Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas who is suffering alongside the citizens of Palestine from the terrorism and occupation of Israel would have carried out a rally to condemn the massacre of Paris and Israel's massacres that targeted the Palestinians, instead of standing in the front lines with the symbol of terrorism.”

Jumblat also voiced surprised that “Arab people are not carrying out rallies to refuse and condemn terrorism,” adding that it is required to send a clear massage to the world that “Arabs and Muslims refuse and condemn such barbaric acts.”

On Sunday, around 50 world leaders joined over 1.5 million demonstrators in a historic anti-terrorism rally in Paris that was attended by Netanyahu and Abbas. The unprecedented demonstration was held after 17 people were killed in bloody Islamist attacks in France last week, including 12 at the satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo.

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