Jumblatt stresses Hizbullah arms again

 

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt said on Friday that the Lebanese state should have the exclusive right to decide whether the country goes to war, criticizing Hizbullah for “forming its own state within Lebanon.” “It is unacceptable and impossible for one party to decide to take the country to war on behalf of the entire Lebanese people,” Jumblatt said at the opening session of Socialist International Mediterranean Committee”s conference in Beirut.

 

“Had we reached an agreement with Hizbullah on a defense strategy for Lebanon before July 2006, the war would not have happened,” he added, referring to Israel”s 34-day assault on Lebanon in the summer 2006.

Prior to the war with Israel, rival Lebanese parties were discussing disputed issues in a national dialogue sponsored by Speaker Nabih Berri.

 

Defense strategy for Lebanon, Lebanese-Syrian relations, Palestinian arms in Lebanon, and the International Tribunal to try suspects in the murder of former Premier Rafik Hariri were among the issues being discussed by the rival leaders.

 

Jumblatt praised Socialist International for its backing of the March 14 Forces and said the bloc had managed to make some important achievements over the past three years.

 

The most important of all, according to Jumblatt, was the establishment of the tribunal.

 

“The tribunal was established despite all the obstacles it faced,” he said. “It might be moving slowly, but we are sure that justice will prevail at the end.”

 

On Lebanese-Syrian relations, Jumblatt said that the March 14 Forces have managed to lay down the nature of such relations, even if only theoretically and not practically.
 

“There cannot be a free state in Lebanon if the Syrian regime continues to discard Lebanon”s sovereignty and independence,” he said. “We demanded establishing diplomatic relations and demarcating borders with Damascus.”

 

Jumblatt said that the demarcating of borders between Lebanon and Syria would facilitate the liberation of the Israeli-occupied Shebaa Farms. “Before taking any actions regarding the Shebaa Farms, we should first prove its Lebanese identity and this can only be done through border demarcation.”

 

“After demarcating the border with Syria, it is up to the Lebanese state to choose how to liberate the occupied territory. We might do it through diplomatic or even military means, but fist we should demarcate the border,” Jumblatt said.

 

On the issue of Palestinian arms, Jumblatt said that the March 14 Forces have managed to force Syria”s allies to agree on disarming Palestinian militias that are operating outside the refugee camps.

 

“All these groups are backed by Damascus. They have nothing to do with Palestine,” Jumblatt said, urging the government to assess the living conditions in the country”s refugee camps.

 

March 14 Forces representative former MP Fares Soueid urged Socialist International to maintain its support for the governing coalition.

 

Socialist International Secretary General Luis Ayala opened the conference earlier on Friday, stressing the organization”s support for democracy in Lebanon.