Local Editor, 14-11-2009

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt told Al-Manar TV Channel, in his first appearance since 2000, on Friday that he has gone through "tough times" with the Syrian regime and added that in the past he has been "very harsh" and reaching an understanding about the importance of Lebanon's relationship with Syria will come before he makes a visit to the country. He said that "reconciliation with Syria took place when we returned to the principles."

About his possible visit to Syria, Jumblatt said: "I will announce from here (al-Manar) my visit when there are signs and following Premier Saad Hariri's visit to Damascus and when there is readiness in Damascus to welcome me."

"It was not easy to shake hands with Syrian President Hafez Assad after Kamal Jumblatt's funeral, but I did, and we developed an important political relationship," the MP said. Jumblatt's "personal" issues with Damascus stem from his father PSP leader Kamal Jumblatt's assassination, which some have accused Syria of committing. But, Jumblatt said he overcame these problems when he visited the country in 1977.

The Druze leader told al-Manar the Syrian people have the right to object to his visit. "It is not easy to shake hands with someone [Syrian President Bashar Assad] I offended, and he should understand that we were caught in the spur of the moment which is why the emotional rhetoric took over the rational one," he added. He said that his second clash with the Syrian regime came after the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, stressing however that "politics is what counts."

"The Lebanese ended the Syrian mandate over their country but forgot that there are political and geographic constants: the [Mediterranean] Sea, Syria and "Israel"," Jumblatt said. He stressed that Lebanon's destiny is to be "on Syria's side," calling for a return to the Taif Accord that entails good relations with Syria.

Jumblatt touched on his relationship with the March 14 alliance, saying that it "was productive, but we cannot remain prisoners of productive titles." He reiterated that he is still within the parliamentary majority.

The MP also said that he expects the newly formed government's term to last until the next parliamentary elections, and called for consensus on "leaving the big issues up to the National Dialogue." He added that Hariri's mission is to get the cabinet "out of the trenches; give the Palestinian refugees their human rights; install a single, national history textbook in schools; and improve the economic situation." "We formed a unity cabinet and with this government we should take Lebanon out of the March 8 and 14 trenches," Jumblatt said.

He said that his personal relationship with Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has improved and that there has been major progress in reconciling the two parties. He added that he agrees with Hezbollah that "no prospects of a settlement or peace with "Israel" are looming in the horizon, the resistance culture should be strengthened while respecting the particularities of the Lebanese, the Arabism of Lebanon, ending the injustice towards the Palestinian refugees, the importance of defending Lebanon, and the principle that a strong state does not contradict with the Resistance."

Jumblatt also said that the Saudi-Iranian rapprochement helps Islamic unity and prevents sectarian divisions in the region, adding that the Iranian role compliments the Arab role in the Middle East and that there is a "strategic misunderstanding" over Iran's role in the region.
Turning to a possible "Israeli" attack, Jumblatt warned that the Zionist entity could launch an offensive on Lebanon anytime "even if there was no such thing as Hizbullah."