Jumblat Describes Assad as ‘Megalomaniac,’ Calls for Arming of Syrian Opposition
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Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat described Syrian President Bashar Assad as a “megalomaniac,” calling for the arming of the Syrian opposition.
Jumblat told the French newspaper Le Monde that his last meeting with Assad was “surreal.”
Asked if the Syrian president was a reformist and those who are close to Assad prevented him from going on with his reforms, the Druze leader said that this is a “lie.”
“This reformist couldn’t bear a minimum amount of change during the Damascus Spring in the year 2000… He had imprisoned many people back then,” Jumblat told the daily.
He stressed that the dictator regimes “can’t make any change.”
Jumblat expressed satisfaction for cutting ties with the Syrian regime, denying that he had visited Syria in August.
However, he said that he doesn’t regret restoring those ties in 2000.
“The tension was high in (Lebanon) after May 7 incidents,” Jumblat said.
He said that the Syrian regime will not collapse soon.
“I wish so, but the Western countries found the Russian-Chinese veto as an excuse not to help the Syrian people,” the PSP leader noted.
Russia and China vetoed two U.N. Security Council resolutions on the crisis in Syria.
He told the newspaper that the Assad regime has reinforced security along its border with Israel, “and Israel's interest is a priority for some Western countries.”
Jumblat said if Homs falls in the hands of the regime the opposition will not collapse, but this facilitates the regime’s attempt to control the strategic coastal town of Tartous, which strengthens the Russian-Iranian-Syrian alliance.
He addressed Syria’s Druze saying: “I don’t want to be sectarian, the Syrian regime is promoting for a minority alliance… Syrian Druze are Syrian national, who are either with or against the regime.”
“In the past, the Druze fought against the French mandate, and today it’s time for them to fight against the tyranny of the regime that is killing the Syrian people everywhere,” Jumblat added.
“Druze and Christians have been living among Arab Muslims for hundreds of years, why should we fear them today, aren’t we all Arabs?” Jumblat said in another interview with the Egyptian newspaper al-Ahram.
He pointed out that Syria will fall into the unknown if the regime “destroys” Homs.
Concerning the weapons of Hizbullah, Jumblat expressed support for Hizbullah arms to become part of the state’s “legitimacy” in consensus with all Lebanese parties.
“We know that these arms are to defend Lebanon, and we know that they are also to defend the Iranian revolution as (Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan) Nasrallah didn’t hide that,” he said.
I agreed to organize the ties with Hizbullah through the cabinet, but I don’t agree with it on its position from the Syrian regime and Iran.
More than 7,600 people have been killed in violence across Syria since anti-regime protests erupted in March 2011.
25 February 2012, 19:38
37
Interesting to know that nusrallah and his friends who support Assad, well it has become crystal clear that they are sleeping with the enemy 'isreal'. Isreal's intrest is a priority for some western countries. So keep bashar who is a great ally of the Jews and akeed his lover nusrallah is israel's biggest supporter. Wake up nusrallah supports and use your heads. Because otherwise your leader will lose his head with bashar. Every dog has his day, M8 your day is ever so soon!!
25 February 2012, 19:42
25
Excellent initiative as long as one faction isn't disadvantaged vis-à-vis other factions since there are many oppositions. HOWEVER, the factions should sign a deal from now on that once the regime is toppled they return ALL the remaining weapons to the donators or to the Freed Syrian State. We know -first hand- in lebanon what happens when one faction keeps the weapons to terrorize other fellow citizens.
25 February 2012, 19:48
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This is what 150 million US dollars say, and more to come. Good luck to all the hopeless hopefuls.
25 February 2012, 19:59
01
Jumblat you will never be invited to the Rats hole again :-)
Good for you... but be careful Big H is not Keen on any one who does not obey. You might be crossing one of Nasrallah's many red lines by speaking truthfully about his buddy the Killer giraffe.
25 February 2012, 20:29
51
Again flip flopping lol. Druze have this rule that they always side with the one who has power, when their leaders sense the power is about to switch then they start flip flopping step by step. Its the same all over the levant. The syrian druze have been more loyal than the alawites to bashar. If the free syrian army wins over the syrian army then the druze in syria will be more "salafi" than the salafis. Right now they are still with bashar, bcuz they are observing how things turn out. The baath still has the upper hand in syria so they are still with them, for now.
26 February 2012, 18:31
00
bigdig, Arslan, Wahab and walid Jumblat were always close, despite being at seperate teams, why? becauase of their agreement to go in diffirent directions to secure the druze sect. Jumblat/Psp has the majority of druze and it is the psp that decides in which direction the druze sect as a majority goes. As for kamal jumblatt, i dont want to speak ill of the dead but let everyone who use his blood for their own gain ask themselves whether their party were allied or at war with him during the war? because i find it strange how LF:ers tell walid bayk to follow his fathers foot steps when kamal jumblat fought the LF lol.
26 February 2012, 18:32
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realeb, yes your right, he did flip flop but that is not an organized trademark for the maronite sect as it is with the druze.
27 February 2012, 04:01
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lebanonisNOTsyria, I agree with what you are saying but sometimes things are sipler than people wanto to believe. Either you are a flip-flopper or not. Jumblat is a flip-flopper but Aoun is the biggest in what he not just said but what he did.
25 February 2012, 20:54
05
The opposition are armed to the teeth with light and mid weapons.... It will never be the same in Syria and Bashar will never enjoy being a President again
25 February 2012, 21:52
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Jumblat is about 11 months behind the fact that the opposition is already armed. Always stale. Always self-insulting. Always followed by jerks.
25 February 2012, 22:00
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marc you liar!! This is peaceful unarmed opposition, remember!?
25 February 2012, 22:12
02
Jumblatt you are a megalomanoic like hassouni, like berri, like Aoun. You are a traitor and you will hang one day, when democracy finally arrives to the shores of Beirut...yes you will hang with hassouni, with aoun, with berri and the rest of you crooks in government
26 February 2012, 01:17
22
One thing I appreciate about the Druze leader that other factions lack is the decision he made to stop nepotism. He declared politics shouldn't be a family business (dynasty) and for this I give him thumb up. So, his son taymour won't lead the Druze community. Thats a positive example of democracy unlike Aoun and his son in law or even the Hariri clan. But then, America recently had the 2 Bush just Bashar and other tyrants do.... That's why I appreciate this dude although he failed us many times... Hopefully, he spared his community a bloodshed. Let's not forget that his Mercedes brakes we cut off on his way back from Damascus last year!
26 February 2012, 03:41
21
He made a desiccation to stop nepotism? What do you think he is doing with Taymour then? Who led the psp delegation to hariri memorial on feb 14?
Your kidding yourself if you think Taymour is not being groomed to take over the psp and the title "bayk".
26 February 2012, 05:28
12
Yes, I saw his interview as well. It's an interesting progress worth keeping an eye on. ado.australia: taking his son everywhere he goes doesn't mean he's going to succeed to his father. He might remain in politics but not necessarily as THE leader. I believe he deserves a chance to prove his claims... and we have absolutely nothing to loose in doing so.
25 February 2012, 22:33
11
You Lebanese commenting about Syria do not know anything about it. Assad is not a Megalomaniac! The brotherhood (and now you have worse than them.. Salafists) want to destroy the Alawites and persecute anyone who is not a Sunni religious fanatic. Whether we like it or not...the Sunni securalists, Christians, Druze, Ismailis, and Shia in Syria will fight to death for the Government to survive.
25 February 2012, 22:40
01
"democracy finally arrives to the shores of Beirut'.. Why who is coming to the shore to Lebanon...Antwan Lahd?...Democracy does not arrive to the shore. The people of Lebanon who live in the country will decide what type of country Lebanon will be.
26 February 2012, 18:37
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Was that the best you could do? calling me an idiot? hehe tayyib, ana idiot :) Meanwhile, facts and history speak for themselves. Remember how close the druze sect were with the ottomans when they were in power? Or do you not read anything beside present day news? why did jumblatt leave march14 when he saw that march8 was getting stronger? and why is he now trying to distance himself from march8 when he sees bashar el asad is not a 100 % sure bet.... ask yourself that and then look at the history of the druze in the levant and draw paralels.
26 February 2012, 00:45
13
Lebanonissyria don't ever pretend to understand politics because you are an idiot. Don't pretend to know Anything. The Druzes biggest problem is that they are loyal to the country they are in. They put country ahead of religion. If that makes it seem like they are siding with the powerful, well that's because in most cases the state is the powerful one. Unlike here in lebanon with our hizballah cancer taking control. Lebanonissyria Don't bring a knife into a gunfight.
26 February 2012, 18:42
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No, their loyalty lies with their own sect, thats all. Have you forgotten how they were more close to the ottoman rulers than muslim turks were? Do you really think they put country before religion or are you only arguing for the sake of arguing?
If bashar el asad falls, they will be the most loyal to the oppostion just as they right now are the most loyal to bashar el asad.
Again i ask you to read about their history in ´the levant and how they ALWAYS sided with the strongest power regardless of who he is or what ideology or religion he had, it was always about securing the druze sect.
26 February 2012, 03:37
11
Regardless of whether what this coward and scumbag says is correct or not, he should be the very last one to speak after the last human being on the face of this earth utters his or her last word. Anyone with one iota of decency left in him or her should spit in the face on this low life. I am still surprised that he is still given a forum instesd of the back of a shoe.
26 February 2012, 05:27
01
anta al waleed ibna al kamal, kamal al arooba wa kamal filisteen, kamal el hooriya wal ta3oodididya. tahiyah laka ya rafeeq. laka el kholood wa laka el tahiya min kiserwan Lubnan.
26 February 2012, 08:14
12
Someone should stuff and old shoe in his mouth. Or perhaps his mouth is already stuffed with an old shoe and the noise that comes out of him is from his lower opening. It does sound like it is anyway.
26 February 2012, 10:57
01
The rebels are armed to the teeth? They're so armed that for months they were mowed down by the Syrian military and moukhabarat in the thousands. The real arming has only taken place in the last few weeks as it's turned from peaceful revolution versus armed soldiers to armed civilians and defectors against the dictatorship.
If the west, Arab states and Turkey truly armed the Syrian rebels with the massive amount of weapons that they could then we would see a lot more Syrian military being killed than what has happened.
The difference between the revolt in the 80s and this one is that one was only in Hama (this one is in Homs, Hama, Daraa, Banias, Latakia, Deir Ez Zor...) and that one was only the Muslim Brotherhood, this one is a much larger section of society which is why the government can't kill their way to victory very easily.
26 February 2012, 11:00
10
Coming from a great reformist and democrat that you are, im sure your words have their weight. After all we have all seen the democratic process in the PSP. Not only you re a disgrace to the people you represent(btw thats due to lack of palying field for young and brilliant guys to come out), but youre nothing more than a common thief and murderer. Youve also made yourself a legitimate target for assassination. Its better for you to keep your big mouth shut and stop gsmbling with the Druze's future in both Lebanin and Syria
26 February 2012, 11:10
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what a noble person you are mr joumblat , send your arsenal you got in the chouf to syria in any way you got your arsenal from the syrian occupier
26 February 2012, 12:28
00
This time when they take over Beirut again. They will make sure none of the dogs will make it this time. You are lucky once.
