Lebanon Druze head throws lot in with Syria rebels

[ellisonz]

AFP – 13 hrs ago

Lebanon's Druze chief Walid Jumblatt openly sided with the anti-regime camp in Syria on Friday as he marked the 35th anniversary of his father's assassination, which he has blamed on Damascus.

"After 35 years, this is the day to tell the truth, to myself and to others ... Long live free Syria!" he said after spreading a "Syrian revolution" flag over the grave of his father, Kamal Jumblatt.

He also hailed the "marytrs of the Syrian revolution" in a speech before dignitaries at Baaklin, in the Shouf mountains southeast of Beirut, after the memorial at the cemetery in nearby Mukhtara.

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The Druze leader, who took over after his father was shot dead on March 16, 1977, after Syria's military intervention during Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war, was for many years in the pro-Syrian camp of Lebanese politics.

More: http://news.yahoo.com/lebanon-druze-head-throws-lot-syria-rebels-172910762.html

[Alamuti Lotus]

1. To say that Walid Jumblatt has taken a particular stance is a sort of gross exagerration..

the man is the most fickle hypocrite on that stage. At some point or another he has supported and opposed (occasionally at the same time, take now for instance) every faction or regime in the area. For example, private praise for Israel as it bombed Lebanese cities while publicly supporting the Resistance.
see a recent piece by Asad Abukhalil for a brief elaboration of how he raises wishy-washy into a supreme art form:
http://english.al-akhbar.com/blogs/angry-corner/walid-jumblatt-joke-lebanese-politics

At this current time and relating to the current stance vis-a-vis the so-called rebel camp in Syria (which is really to say it is the US/Saudi camp), this is likely just his way of trying to get back into the good graces of the bank accounts of Saudi princes, which was a bridge he burned when he threw his lot in with Hizbu'llah and current-Prime Minister/telecoms billionaire Najib Mikhati as opposed to ex-Prime Minister/inherited billionaire Saad Hariri (the Saudi candidate).

As far as the Druze inside Syria itself, Jumblatt's present stance on Syria is not representative of their own political stances, nor is it wholly representative of the Druze population inside Lebanon (the sect's religious leaders themselves are usually at odds with whatever platform he has temporarily adopted).