Recent Appearances...

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Recent Appearances...

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Jumblat ridicules Biden's 'fictitious' Gaza pier plan

2024-03-10

[An Nahar] Leb
...an Iranian satrapy currently ruled by Hassan Nasrallah situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel. Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects. The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozen flavors of Christians, plus Armenians, Georgians, and who knows what else? It is the home of the original Hezbollah, which periodically starts a war with the Zionist Entity, gets Beirut pounded to rubble, and then declares victory and has a parade. The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers...
’s Druze leader Walid Wally Jumblat
...Druze politician, head of the Progressive Socialist Party, who's been on every side in Leb at least four times. He'll sell you his friends for a dollar, but family comes higher because of shipping and handling...
on Friday criticized U.S. President Joe The Big Guy Biden
...46th president of the U.S. We hold these truths to be self-evident. All men and women created ... by the — you know — you know, the thing...
’s aid plans for the embattled Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with an iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response...
Strip.

"President Biden. Nothing will prevent the starvation and the death of the people of Gaza if you are delaying the immediate ceasefire," Jumblat said in an English-language post on the X platform.

"It is useless to improvise fictitious harbors or drop meager food rations amidst the continuous bombardment of Gaza," Jumblat added.

Biden ordered the U.S. military Thursday to set up a temporary port off the coast of Gaza, joining international partners in trying to carve out a sea route to deliver food and other aid to desperate Paleostinian civilians cut off by the Hamas
Hamas

...a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth",...
-Israel war and by Israeli restrictions on humanitarian access by land.

The U.S. says it airdropped 36,000 meals into northern Gaza on Tuesday in coordination with Jordan, the second such joint mission in recent days. It came a day after the World Health Organization said children were dying of starvation in northern Gaza, where an estimated 300,000 Paleostinians are living with little food or clean water.

But the strategy has sparked considerable discussion, with humanitarian organizations saying it cannot meet the soaring needs.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Hariri meets US ambassador, Grand Mufti Daryan in Beirut

2024-02-14

[NAHARNET] Ex-PM and al-Mustaqbal
... the Future Movement, political party led by Saad Hariri...
Movement leader Saad Hariri
...Second son of Rafik Hariri, the Leb PM who was assassinated in 2005. He has was prime minister in his own right from 2009 through early 2011. He was born in Riyadh to an Iraqi mother and graduated from Georgetown University. He managed his father's business interests in Riyadh until his father's assassination. When his father died he inherited a fortune of some $4.1 billion, which won't do him much good if Hizbullah has him bumped off, too....
met Tuesday at the Center House in Beirut with American Ambassador Lisa Johnson and Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Daryan.

Johnson told news hounds as she left the Center House that the meeting with Hariri was "excellent".
"I didn't get blown up. So there's that"
Hariri, who had withdrawn from political life two years ago, arrived Sunday night in Beirut to prepare for the 19th anniversary of the martyrdom of his father Rafik Hariri and his ~~lover~~ companions on February 14.

Hariri had resigned as prime minister after unprecedented nationwide protests broke out in 2019 to demand the wholesale overhaul of Leb
Leb

...an Iranian satrapy currently ruled by Hassan Nasrallah situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel. Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects. The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozen flavors of Christians, plus Armenians, Georgians, and who knows what else? It is the home of the original Hezbollah, which periodically starts a war with the Zionist Entity, gets Beirut pounded to rubble, and then declares victory and has a parade. The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers...
's political class.

He was designated the following year to form a technocratic government that would implement much-anticipated reforms, but he failed to broker a consensus and threw in the towel.

Media reports said Hariri will also meet with Parliament Speaker Nabih Knobby Berri
...Speaker of the Lebanese parliament, head of the Amal Shiite party aligned with Hezbollah, a not very subtle sock puppet of the Medes and Persians...
, who will seek to bring him together with ex-PSP chief Walid Wally Jumblat
...Druze politician, head of the Progressive Socialist Party, who's been on every side in Leb at least four times. He'll sell you his friends for a dollar, but family comes higher because of shipping and handling...
.

Link

Israel-Palestine-Jordan

'They have no influence.' Words at the 'peace summit' on Gaza did not turn into actions

2023-10-23

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Mikhail Zakharov

[REGNUM] On October 21, a summit on the Palestinian-Israeli issue was held in Cairo. The event, initiated by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi , was dedicated to discussing ways to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and reduce tension in the Gaza Strip.

Representatives of 34 countries and three international organizations - the UN, the League of Arab States and the African Union - arrived in the Egyptian capital. Russia was represented at the summit by Deputy Head of the Russian Foreign Ministry and Presidential Representative for the Middle East and African Countries Mikhail Bogdanov.

Speaking at the summit, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an immediate ceasefire in the conflict zone. “It is necessary to apply international humanitarian law and protect the civilian population of the Gaza Strip,” the UN Secretary General said, emphasizing that “every effort must be made to stop the bloodshed and achieve a two-state solution.”

The Egyptian side insisted on reviving the peace process in the Middle East. “I called on you to work together to reach consensus on a roadmap to end the current humanitarian tragedy and revive the peace process,” said President al-Sisi.

King Abdullah II of Jordan also noted the importance of immediately ending the war in the Gaza Strip and delivering humanitarian supplies to the Palestinian enclave. “An immediate end to the war in the Gaza Strip is necessary... continuous delivery of aid to the residents of the Gaza Strip is necessary,” the Jordanian monarch said.

The leader of the Palestinian people, Mahmoud Abbas, spoke out against the forced displacement of the Arab people from the Gaza Strip. “We warn against attempts to move our people from Gaza beyond its borders. We will not leave, we will remain on our land ,” he said. “There is no other place for the Palestinians other than their land,” Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani supported him.

During the summit, senior officials also spoke about the need to free the hostages and condemned the indiscriminate use of force through bombing , which is a violation of international law.

In a conversation with Regnum news agency , Deputy Chairman of the Association of Russian Diplomats, HSE professor Andrei Baklanov noted that the summit could help resolve several issues that are significant for the Arab states and Palestinians.

Firstly, for the organizers of the event, the Egyptians (and not only for them), it is important to block the idea of expelling Palestinians from the territory where they lived to the territory of neighboring Arab countries. The Palestinian problem “cannot be eliminated without a fair solution, and this will not happen at the expense of Egypt , ” al-Sisi explained during the opening of the summit. Amman also rejects the idea of moving Palestinians: “No refugees in Jordan,” Abdullah II previously noted.

The second important issue for the assembled politicians is preventing the possible expansion of confrontation to other territories of the Middle East, in particular to the West Bank and Lebanon, Baklanov notes.

Finally, the expert says, politicians can agree on restoring the system of humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians, which has been experiencing funding problems for several years now. “The question will be about restoring in full the activities of UNRWA (the UN agency involved in helping Palestinian refugees in Syria, Lebanon, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. - Ed. ) to finance support programs, food and other, for Palestinians, primarily Palestinian refugees,” explains IA Regnum’s interlocutor.

... AND MODEST RESULTS
In fact, based on the results of the summit, it can be said that its Arab participants limited themselves to statements, demonstrative condemnations and general agreement on the delivery of aid to the Gaza Strip. They failed to reach consensus, take a stronger position and collectively resort to serious action to achieve the goals of the event.

In addition, there are also significant differences between the Arab countries and Western representatives who took part in the summit, in particular on the issues of a ceasefire and condemnation of the actions of Israel and Hamas. Some European leaders had previously refused to participate in the summit due to disagreements over the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Israel itself, by the way, did not take part in the event. “Israeli politicians have made it clear that Israel will not participate in a regional summit on the ongoing war, which is due to take place on Saturday in Cairo,” local newspaper Haaretz previously wrote.

Andrei Baklanov notes that the presence of the UN and the organization’s secretary general there played an important role in Tel Aviv’s refusal to participate in the summit. “The Israelis have always been very skeptical about this structure,” the expert explained.

The absence of Iranian representatives at the summit , as well as high-ranking US officials , also does not work in favor of the event organized by Egypt. “The United States and Iran are the two main external actors that may in the future be involved in this conflict. This is another factor that this summit is unlikely to bring any fundamental change in the situation,” says Boris Dolgov, senior researcher at the Center for Arab and Islamic Studies at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, in an interview with IA Regnum.

According to Lebanese politician Walid Jumblatt, whose words are quoted by Politico , the diplomats who came to Cairo would not have been able to achieve a major breakthrough. “They are not players,” said Jumblatt. - They have no influence. Three players - Israel, Iran and America."

Earlier, Reuters, citing diplomatic sources, reported that the parties were unlikely to be able to make a full-fledged joint statement. Such pessimism was justified: in the evening , Sky News Arabia reported that participants in the Cairo summit on Palestine did not accept the final statement due to the above-mentioned disagreements.

This suggests that the event is unlikely to have a chance to seriously influence the further course of events in the Middle East. “The specific further dynamics of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict now depend to a large extent on what decision the Israeli leadership makes,” notes Dolgov.

PREPARING FOR THE WORST
At this time, judging by the events taking place against the backdrop of the meeting, the conflict is not subsiding, and the warring parties continue to prepare for the worst outcome of events.

On Saturday evening, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Avichai Adri announced that Israel was implementing a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip. He explained that currently “nothing comes to the Palestinian enclave from Israeli territory,” including water, electricity and medicine. As Israeli Ambassador to Russia Alexander Ben Zvi reported, the Israeli leadership does not currently see an agenda for negotiations on Palestine.

The surprise attack by Hamas was devastating for Tel Aviv's reputation. “This is our September 11th,” admitted Major Nir Dinar, IDF spokesman. “They took us by surprise.”

“In order to rehabilitate themselves in the eyes of Israeli public opinion, the Israeli leadership, it seems to me, will go for a military ground operation, despite attempts to find some other methods of resolving the conflict,” says Boris Dolgov.

In turn, the Lebanese Hezbollah movement continues to strike IDF military targets in northern Israel, and the Palestinian Hamas movement shells Israeli cities. In the Gaza Strip itself, the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate.

Israel's neighbors prioritize their own problems. In particular, both the Egyptian President and the King of Jordan are concerned about the security of their countries due to the possible displacement of the population of Gaza, which they opposed at the summit.

Yes, the Egyptian authorities, of course, very, very condemn Israel for attacks on civilians, but they are not willing to open corridors for the movement of refugees from the Gaza Strip . So do the Jordanian authorities . Arab countries are not going to intervene more actively on the side of the Palestinians. Protests and remarks on social networks hardly bother Tel Aviv.

On the eve of the summit, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that “if it is not possible to ensure lasting peace, then the alternative will be very bad - large-scale war and instability in the region . ” And the past “peace summit” failed to cope with the task of containing the situation.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Jumblat hopes Iran-KSA deal leads to Lebanese president before June

2023-03-15

That certainly would be helpful.

Maybe by doomsday.

[An Nahar] Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Wally Jumblat
...Druze politician, head of the Progressive Socialist Party, who's been on every side in Leb at least four times. He'll sell you his friends for a dollar, but family comes higher because of shipping and handling...
on Tuesday described the Iranian-Saudi reconciliation agreement as a "major event," hoping it will lead to a "settlement" in ~~Lebanon~~ Hezbollahstan
...The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years. It produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. That's three statements. Only the first is subjective....
and the "election of a president before June."

"No camp can impose a provocation candidate on the other," Jumblat said in an interview with Radio Voice of Lebanon (100.5-100.3), saying he prefers "a consensual president who has an economic aspect."

As for the list of candidates that he raised with Speaker Nabih Knobby Berri
...Speaker of the Lebanese parliament, head of the Amal Shiite party aligned with Hezbollah, a not very subtle sock puppet of the Medes and Persians...
, Jumblat said: "I had proposed three names -- General Joseph Aoun, Jihad Azour and Salah Honein -- and in the list I proposed to Speaker Berri I added the name of the candidate May Rihani."

"The regional Saudi-Iranian consensus is a major event that surpasses my proposal and the proposal of Speaker Berri and (Hezbollah chief) Sayyed Hassan (Nasrallah)," Jumblat added, noting that the KSA-Iran
Iran

...Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979...
deal will have a "huge impact on the region."

"I don’t have any answer about the date of the president’s election, but let the (Saudi-Iranian) agreement be a motive for ending major analyses and attempting to reconcile viewpoints. Enough with the wars of elimination from all sides," the PSP leader went on to say.

Noting that "boycotting dialogue would be a mistake," Jumblat pointed out that dialogue would "contribute to a common nomination of a president, similarly to a Doha 2 scenario, but in Lebanon and not anywhere else."

MTV meanwhile reported that Jumblat will travel to Kuwait on Wednesday for a political visit.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Bassil meets Jumblat after delay caused by 'Abu Faour's Maarab visit'

2022-12-24

[PUBLISH.TWITTER]

Bassil meets Jumblat after delay caused by 'Abu Faour's Maarab visit' https://t.co/jIQ4K4rI0b
— Naharnet (@Naharnet) December 23, 2022

FPM chief Jebran Bassil met with PSP leader Walid Jumblat at the house of the latter’s daughter Dalia followin... https://t.co/V6ggLnkQUr
— Naharnet (@Naharnet) December 23, 2022

Italian foreign minister meets with Berri, Mikati https://t.co/VuquLIJDzr
— Naharnet (@Naharnet) December 23, 2022

Jumblat decries 'presidential blackmail' in chief of staff file https://t.co/tur2NECEj7
— Naharnet (@Naharnet) December 23, 2022

Jumblat to meet Bassil after talks with Mouawad https://t.co/mGWmuIAAIn
— Naharnet (@Naharnet) December 23, 2022

Macron urges Lebanon to 'get rid' of leaders blocking reforms https://t.co/6LS8xCPkqS
— Naharnet (@Naharnet) December 23, 2022

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Druze politician says Iran gains in Lebanon as Arabs abandon it

2022-01-28

[JPost] "Give us money, or we'll become Iranian Proxies...because we've done so well under their thumb so far"
Druze leader Walid Jumblatt said on Thursday that Iran had gained more power in Lebanon because Arab states had abandoned the country, and that nobody could replace Sunni leader Saad al-Hariri after his decision to step away from politics.

In an interview with broadcaster MTV, Jumblatt also stepped up his criticism of the Iran-backed Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah, the country's dominant party, saying Lebanon was not a rocket-launching platform, in reference to its vast arsenal.

Jumblatt said that he had agreed with Russian officials during a recent visit to Moscow that what he described as the Arabs' abandonment of Lebanon had given more power to Iran.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Jumblat Says Lebanese Decision 'Usurped' by Hizbullah, 'New System' Needed

2021-12-08

[An Nahar] Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Wally Jumblat
...Druze politician, head of the Progressive Socialist Party, who's been on every side in Leb at least four times. He'll sell you his friends for a dollar, but family comes higher because of shipping and handling...
has decried that "today, more than ever, we are living in another ~~Lebanon~~ Hezbollahstan
<del>Lebanon</del> Hezbollahstan

...The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers, a practice dating back to the heady days of human sacrifice to Baal Moloch...
.""The Lebanese decision has been completely usurped by a party that extends from here to the Islamic Theocratic Republic" of Iran, Jumblat said in an interview with the PSP’s al-Anbaa news portal, referring to Hizbullah
...Party of God, a Leb militia inspired, founded, funded and directed by Iran. Hizbullah refers to itself as The Resistance and purports to defend Leb against Israel, with whom it has started and lost one disastrous war to date, though it did claim victory...
"At the same time, there is the enormous economic crisis, which is the result of bad behavior, or the exacerbation of the class of bankers and traders and those in the political class who are benefitting from the discrepancy in the exchange rate," Jumblat added.

He accordingly called for "a new political system that emerges from a new electoral system."

"The current system is a system of splitting shares between the Shiite duo and the Christian duo, and the biggest loser in this system was al-Mustaqbal
... the Future Movement, political party led by Saad Hariri...
Movement chief Saad Hariri
...Second son of Rafik Hariri, the Leb PM who was assassinated in 2005. He has was prime minister in his own right from 2009 through early 2011. He was born in Riyadh to an Iraqi mother and graduated from Georgetown University. He managed his father's business interests in Riyadh until his father's assassination. When his father died he inherited a fortune of some $4.1 billion, which won't do him much good if Hizbullah has him bumped off, too....
as well as us as a minority party and the general and national parties that call for abolishing political sectarianism," Jumblat explained.

He, however, said that it is not possible to build a new electoral system under the current political equation.

As for the controversy over the port blast investigations, the PSP leader said recusing Judge Tarek Bitar from interrogating former ministers is "not the appropriate solution," seeing as it would fragment the investigation.

He added that Bitar "should have questioned the judge who ordered the confiscation of the ship and the unloading of its cargo, seeing as the ship was full of ammonium nitrate."

Separately, Jumblat said "regaining Lebanon from the Iranian axis requires international circumstances that would allow the country to be present."

As for the upcoming presidential election and the possibility of extending the term of President Michel Aoun
...president of Leb, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hizbullah...
, the PSP leader said: "Constitutionally, President Michel Aoun cannot have his term extended. This matter contradicts with the constitution and he must hand over his post when the final moment comes."

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Lebanese parties to boycott parliament session aimed to derail Beirut blast probe

2021-08-12

[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Several Lebanese parties said on Wednesday they would boycott a parliamentary session called to discuss a proposal that critics say would effectively derail judicial efforts to question bigwigs over the Beirut port blast.

More than a year since the Aug. 4 blast, many Lebanese are furious that no bigwig has been brought to account for more than 200 lives lost and thousands of injuries.

With leading Christian and Druze groups planning to boycott, it was not clear if there would be enough MPs for quorum at the session called on Thursday by Speaker Nabih Knobby Berri
Nabih <q>Knobby</q> Berri

...Speaker of the Lebanese parliament, head of the Amal Shiite party aligned with Hezbollah, a not very subtle sock puppet of the Medes and Persians...
The only item on the agenda is the petition from a group of MPs asking that the bigwigs including the caretaker prime minister be referred to a special council that hears cases against former presidents and ministers.

The Christian Lebanese Forces
A Christian political party founded by Bashir Gemayel, who was then bumped off when he was elected president of Leb...
said the petition was an attempt to obstruct the judicial probe. MPs aligned with Druze leader Walid Wally Jumblat
...Druze politician, head of the Progressive Socialist Party, who's been on every side in Leb at least four times. He'll sell you his friends for a dollar, but family comes higher because of shipping and handling...
said it would "obstruct reaching the truth".

If approved, the petition would first lead to a parliamentary inquiry, said Nizar Saghieh, head of The Legal Agenda, a research and advocacy organization.

The process could lead to a trial by the special council if two-thirds of MPs voted for one, he said, adding that the inquiry could go on indefinitely.

"The aim of the petition is to create a parallel parliamentary inquiry and consequently to confuse the judicial inquiry," he said.

The petition was lodged after investigating judge Tarek Bitar requested immunity be lifted from former Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil, former Public Works Minister Ghazi Zeaiter and former Interior Minister Nohad Machnouk, all of whom are MPs.

It seeks permission for those three, in addition to caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab and Youssef Finianos, another former public works minister, to be referred to the special council.

All deny wrongdoing.

“Wudn’t us. Maybe Allah dunnit — ‘cause all that happens is his will.”

Khalil and Zeitar are both senior members of Berri’s Amal Movement and allies of the Iran-backed, Shiite group Hezbollah. Finianos belongs to a Christian faction that is allied to Hezbollah.

Hezbollah leader Sayyed His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah
...The satrap of the Medes and the Persians in Leb...
on Saturday accused Bitar on Saturday of playing politics, calling the investigation politicized.

Bitar has not commented on the accusation.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun designated Sunni Muslim politician Saad al-Hariri as prime minister

2020-10-23

[TWITTER]

#Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun designated Sunni Muslim politician Saad al-Hariri as prime minister on Thursday. Hariri was backed by his own Future lawmakers, the Shi’ite Amal party, Druze politician Walid Jumblatt’s party and other small blocs.#Hariri https://t.co/3Z1bc1bGmt
— Daily Times (@dailytimespak) October 22, 2020

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Samir Geagea calls on all parties to resign from Hariri cabinet

2019-10-21

[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] The head of the Lebanese Forces
A Christian political party founded by Bashir Gemayel, who was then bumped off when he was elected president of Leb...
Party (LF)

Samir Geagea
... Geagea was imprisoned by the Syrians and their puppets for 11 years in a dungeon in the third basement level of the Lebanese Ministry of Defense. He was released after the Cedar Revolution in 2005 ...
said on Sunday that the Lebanese streets which are flooded with protesters waving the Lebanese flag are real scenes echoing "a deep crisis that has crumbled the country’s economy."

Geagea, in an interview with Al Hadath news channel, called upon all political blocs to resign from Saad Hariri
...Second son of Rafik Hariri, the Leb PM who was assassinated in 2005. He has was prime minister in his own right from 2009 through early 2011. He was born in Riyadh to an Iraqi mother and graduated from Georgetown University. He managed his father's business interests in Riyadh until his father's assassination. When his father died he inherited a fortune of some $4.1 billion, which won't do him much good if Hizbullah has him bumped off, too....
government on Sunday night.

A day earlier, Geagea announced the resignation of the Lebanese Forces Party’s four ministers from Saad Hariri’s government.

Geagea told Al Hadath the national unity government has become a failure due to the existence of "multiple opinions" and the inability to implement."

"We cannot tackle all the problems at once, let’s begin with a technocratic government," Geagea said.

"We demand a government of competence from successful personalities with clean hands," the party leader said adding that "if a government is formed different from its predecessors, the street (public) will be satisfied immediately."

"The crisis exceeded all reform proposals due to the mistrust between the people and the ruling government," he added.

In an earlier interview with local Lebanese TV Al Jadeed earlier on Sunday, Geagea said: "If we are late, I think what follows is worse, I call upon President (Saad) Hariri to approach a new cabinet."

He also added that he expects the resignation of the ministers of the Progressive Socialist Party’s bloc later in the day.

On Saturday, the Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Wally Jumblat
...Druze politician, head of the Progressive Socialist Party, who's been on every side in Leb at least four times. He'll sell you his friends for a dollar, but family comes higher because of shipping and handling...
denied reports of his request to his party’s ministers to resign from the Lebanese government.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Lebanon’s Druze leader Jumblatt attacks Syrian regime over massacre

2018-07-28

[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] The main leader of the Druze sect in Leb on Friday attacked the Syrian government for failing to stop an ISIS massacre of Druze in Syria, saying it should have noticed the turbans gathering to attack.

"No one can tell me that the squadrons of many American, Russian and foreign planes did not see this gathering which suddenly took the regime by surprise and raided Jebel al-Arab," said Walid Wally Jumblat
...

Druze politician, head of the Progressive Socialist Party, who's been on every side in Leb at least four times. He'll sell you his friends for a dollar, but family comes higher because of shipping and handling...
ISIS assault on the city of Sweida and nearby villages in the Jebel al-Arab area on Thursday killed more than 246 people, many of them civilians.

Syrian state media said the army had intervened and battled the turbans with both ground forces and air strikes.

Jumblat, who heads the largest Druze political party in Leb, is a strong critic of Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
Light of the Alawites...
. The other Druze parties are pro-Damascus.

He also accused Assad of wanting to send Druze from the Jebel al-Arab area including the city of Sweida to fight in a future offensive against rebels in Idlib province in northern Syria.

Many community leaders and top Druze religious leaders have refused to sanction enlistment in the army during Syria’s seven-year conflict.

"They want to sacrifice the youths of Jebel al-Arab in Idlib," Jumblat said.

He asked Assad’s main ally Russia to help prevent that.

"We want its (Russia’s) guarantee to the people of the Jebel that they will remain in the Jebel and not be used by Bashar as fodder, living or dead, for his personal ends."

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Hezbollah positions affecting Arab allies are unacceptable: Lebanon's Hariri

2017-11-26

[Al Ahram] Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri said on Saturday that he will not accept Iran-backed Hezbollah's positions that "affect our Arab brothers or targets the security and stability of their countries", a statement from his press office said.

Hariri announced his resignation from his post on Nov. 4 in a televised statement from Soddy Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face...
After returning to Leb this week, he shelved the decision on Wednesday at the request of President

Michel Aoun
...president of Leb, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hizbullah
...Party of God, a Leb militia inspired, founded, funded and directed by Iran. Hizbullah refers to itself as The Resistance and purports to defend Leb against Israel, with whom it has started and lost one disastrous war to date, though it did claim victory...
...
.

On Saturday, he said that his decision to wait instead of officially resigning is to give a chance to discuss and look into demands that will make Leb neutral and allow it to enforce its "disassociation" policy.

"Disassociation" is widely understood in Leb to mean its policy of staying out of regional conflicts.

Top Lebanese Druze politician Walid Wally Jumblat
...

Druze politician, head of the Progressive Socialist Party, who's been on every side in Leb at least four times. He'll sell you his friends for a dollar, but family comes higher because of shipping and handling...
on Saturday called on Saudi Arabia to enter dialogue with Iran and said that the kingdom’s modernisation plans could not work while Riyadh was engaged in a war in Yemen.

Link

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