Special Dispatch Series | No. 2650, 2651 | November 16, 2009
Lebanon/Syria
The following are two dispatches from the MEMRI special dispatch series on Lebanon and Syria.
Special Dispatch No. 2651
Syrian Presidential Advisor Buthayna Sha'ban: Israel's Crimes Are a Mark of Shame on Humanity
In her weekly column in the Syrian government daily Teshreen, on November 2, 2009, Dr. Buthayna Sha'ban, political and media advisor to Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, wrote that Israel is trying to exterminate the Palestinian people by methods such as starving them, poisoning their food and water, raping prisoners, and running over children with vehicles. She went on to harshly criticize international organizations, and the West, for not doing enough to protect the Palestinians from Israel.
To read this dispatch, visit http://www.memri.org/bin/latestnews.cgi?ID=SD265109.
Special Dispatch No. 2650
Lebanese Druze Leader Walid Jumblatt: The Slogans of the March 14 Forces Are Worn Out
On August 2, 2009, Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt announced that his political alliance with the March 14 Forces had "stemmed from necessity, and now should be discontinued." He criticized his political allies of the past four years in the March 14 Forces, stating that their struggle is devoid of political content and based entirely on rejecting the other.
In Lebanon, Jumblatt's statements were taken at face value as a declaration of quitting the March 14 Forces. But a few days later, after a meeting with Saudi Information Minister 'Abd Al-'Aziz Al-Khuja, who was sent to Lebanon following Jumblatt's statements, Jumblatt announced that his words had been misinterpreted, that he had not abandoned March 14 Forces leader and prime minister designate Sa'd Al-Hariri, and that the views he had expressed should not be taken to mean that he is quitting the March 14 Forces.
Following Jumblatt's statements regarding the end of his alliance with the March 14 Forces, Lebanese figures close to the Syrian regime announced that Jumblatt was invited to visit Syria, and it was reported that he had also been invited to Iran.
It should be noted that Jumblatt's statements came as no surprise either inside or outside Lebanon, because his change in position had been evident as early as May 2008, following Hizbullah's armed takeover of Beirut and other areas of Lebanon.
Jumblatt's political about-face has had significant repercussions in the Lebanese political arena, especially after the June 2009 parliamentary elections. At this point, Jumblatt sees himself as not being part of the March 14 Forces, but at the same time declares that he supports Sa'd Al-Hariri and is part of the parliamentary majority. These assertions, however, have no basis in reality, since there is no guarantee that in the important decisions that the Lebanese parliament or government will have to make in the future, Jumblatt will adopt the position of the March 14 Forces. Furthermore, during the recent months, it has become clear that Jumblatt is moving closer to the opposition, and in particular to Hizbullah, and even supports its positions and demands. Since Jumblatt's party has 12 members in parliament, his shift has neutralized the March 14 Forces' parliamentary majority and has rendered their elections victory meaningless.
To read this dispatch on the main points of an August 7, 2009 interview Jumblatt gave to the Lebanese opposition daily Al-Safir a few days after he announced the end of the alliance with the March 14 Forces and after his subsequent qualification of that announcement, as well as excerpts from subsequent interviews he gave to the Iranian media, visit http://www.memri.org/bin/latestnews.cgi?ID=SD265009.
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