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Hezbollah: Jumblatt pettier than his accusation
Mohamad Shmaysani
As pivotal changes are taking place in Lebanon, before the presidential vote occur on the 12th of November, some political players from the February 14 ruling bloc are seeking to draw a grim picture of the situation and further fuel regional and local tensions. In Lebanon, the head of the Lebanese Forces Samir Geagea is still insisting on having a new president from within the February 14 political bloc with the half-plus-one MPs formula, brushing aside the constitution and the general endeavor for consensus in the country. And abroad is his one time foe and present ally, MP Walid Jumblatt, who has given himself reign to release provocative positions, from Washington. He was aiming, of course, at Hezbollah and Syria whom he accused of carrying out assassinations in Lebanon. In an interview with CNN, Jumblatt claimed that the assassination of MP martyr Antoine Ghanem "is similar to previous assassinations to stop the Lebanese parliament from freely electing a president; a president who would respect international resolutions."
As pivotal changes are taking place in Lebanon, before the presidential vote occur on the 12th of November, some political players from the February 14 ruling bloc are seeking to draw a grim picture of the situation and further fuel regional and local tensions. In Lebanon, the head of the Lebanese Forces Samir Geagea is still insisting on having a new president from within the February 14 political bloc with the half-plus-one MPs formula, brushing aside the constitution and the general endeavor for consensus in the country. And abroad is his one time foe and present ally, MP Walid Jumblatt, who has given himself reign to release provocative positions, from Washington. He was aiming, of course, at Hezbollah and Syria whom he accused of carrying out assassinations in Lebanon. In an interview with CNN, Jumblatt claimed that the assassination of MP martyr Antoine Ghanem "is similar to previous assassinations to stop the Lebanese parliament from freely electing a president; a president who would respect international resolutions."
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Jumblatt Echoes Cheney
Jumblatt's position intersected with a similar stance made by US Vice President Dick Cheney, who accused Damascus of using "bribery and intimidation" to undermine a free presidential vote.
"The United States will work with free Lebanon's other friends and allies to preserve the country's hard won independence and to defeat the forces of extremism and terror," Cheney said signaling Hezbollah.
In previous speeches and interviews, Jumblatt had wished he was "part of the Italian mafia" which kills those who kill its members. "We wish we can kill some of them, but we'll not do it," Jumblatt had said. His predictions of assassinations, which never miss, and his words of killing and "execution", even if he followed it up with "political execution" have been frequently used recently against his opponents as well as against his allies "who might think of betraying the February 14 bloc." He did not forget to remind February 14 MPs staying at a luxurious hotel in Beirut to keep their windows shut, fearing "potential snipers." Today Jumblatt predicts four February 14 MPs will be assassinated. "They can kill four of us and we will be reduced as a majority," he said in Washington.
Hezbollah Retorts
Hezbollah issued a statement condemning Jumblatt's accusations saying: "Jumblatt is excused these days because he's cornered and hallucinating as consensus among the Lebanese is looming. Jumblatt has admitted that any agreement in the country is political suicide which brings him back to his normal size. Jumblatt's accusation to us is in fact an assassination to all ongoing initiatives and efforts to establish consensus. The least that can be said about his accusation is that it's petty; pettier than it is Jumblatt himself"