Jumblatt re-accuses Syria of killing Hariri and his father

Walid Jumblatt, leader of Lebanon’s Progressive Socialist Party Beirut – Georges Chahine? The head of Lebanon’s Progressive Socialist Party Walid Jumblatt condemned Syria’s ruling regime on Sunday, renewing his accusation that it was behind the assassination of both his father Kamal Jumblatt and former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri.?
The Druze leader also warned against sectarianism within Lebanon’s security agencies, and reiterated his call for Lebanon to form a national unity cabinet.
Jumblatt made the comments in a speech read by former Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) secretary Sharif Fayyad in Aley on Sunday, where he had planned to speak in person at a ceremony commemorating the party’s “martyrs”. The event was cancelled due to Thursday’s car bombing in Ruwaiss, in the southern suburbs of Beirut.
The Jumblatt-penned speech said there was a “difference between ?the martyrs of the Syrian Arab Army who fell in confrontations with Israel … and what the regime’s army is currently doing by raiding Syrian cities and turning ?its weapons away from Israel towards the Syrian people.
“Aren’t all these deadly weapons and ?rockets capable of freeing the occupied Golan several times over?”? it asked.
Jumblatt renewed his appeal to ?the Syrian opposition to unite under the banner of a democratic national programme, saying ?the Syrian people didn’t need any more jihadists or hired assassins.
“The Syrian people know best how to confront the regime and draw a new future for ?Syria, that protects its unity and respects its diversity, and democratic participation in its institutions,” he said.
The PSP chief, a staunch opponent of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, renewed his accusation that Damascus was behind the assassination of his ?father Kamal Jumblatt in 1977, and former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri in 2005?.
The “guillotine” that killed both men has now revealed “its true ugly face”, he said, “chasing down the last citizen in the last town ?because he broke the barrier of fear, demanding freedom, dignity, and democracy, refusing humiliation, ?injustice and oppression.
“For all these reasons, we support the Syrian revolution!” ?he added.
Damascus has denied any involvement in either of the killings.
Jumblatt also used the speech to warn against sectarianism within Lebanon’s military and security forces.
The attempts to transform the bodies ?into “islands protecting this or that sect” is a “severe blow to the last defenses that still ?protect Lebanon and prevents it from being dragged into regional fires,” he said.?
The PSP chief reiterated his party’s call for the formation of a national interest government in Lebanon, saying the ongoing political “vacuum” was damaging people’s interests and standing in the way of solving the country’s economic and social problems.
Turning his attention to the Lebanese army, Jumblatt said he saluted the “martyrs” of the military, who “made and continue to make huge sacrifices at a very ?tense political time, and against the backdrop of unprecedented divisions between the Lebanese people.
“It is ?the duty of all of us to support the military through deeds, not words,” he said. ?