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Wally: Lahoud is defender of Syrian interests
 Druze leader Walid Jumblatt stressed the need to elect a president who will "safeguard Lebanon's interests," asserting that President Emile Lahoud "safeguards the interests of the Syrian regime." Jumblatt went on to dispute that Lahoud was a "Lebanese President."
| Since Damascus installed him, I wouldn't call him one, despite his sash. |
Jumblatt's candid statements came in an interview on Friday with Voice of Lebanon radio, where he said: "Lebanon now has a duty to elect a new president who will safeguard the Constitution and Lebanon's independence and sovereignty." He said that MP Michel Aoun, the leader of the Free Patriotic Movement, is a "democratic figure and is one of the candidates for presidency." Jumblatt said he wished Aoun had participated in demonstrations on February 14 as "he is a basic part of March 14."
| I'm still trying to figure Aoun. I liked him better when he was in exile. But my mind's not devious enough to understand the intricacies of Leb politix. I think you have to be born into the oligarchy to really comprehend them. |
Commenting on statements made by Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah slamming the speeches of leaders of the March 14 Forces during the commemoration for slain former PM Rafik Hariri, Jumblatt said: "We tell Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah that his duty is over. There is no need for arms when it concerns the Shebaa Farms. UN Security Council Resolution 425 has been implemented and this is proved by the UN-demarcated Blue Line." The Chouf MP, a strong anti-Syrian figure, said that the solution to the disputed Shebaa Farms "is when the Syrian government acknowledges they are Lebanese territories - then we can resort to the international court that will decide this matter."
Posted by: Fred 2006-02-20 |
