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Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt. (AP)
Last update - 06:04 22/10/2007
Lebanese Druze leader calls on U.S. to impose sanctions on Syria
By Yoav Stern and Shmuel Rosner, Haaretz Correspondents, and AP
Tags: U.S., Syria, Barak, Jumblatt

Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt called on the United States on Sunday to impose sanctions against Syria, warning that Lebanon would not enjoy stability and independence as long as Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime was in power.

Jumblatt also accused Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group allied with Syria and Iran, of involvement in political assassinations in Lebanon along with its Syrian allies.

Jumblatt's statements come on the heels of a report by the Syrian-based web site "Sham Press," which stated that the Druze leader will seek Defense Minister Ehud Barak's help in toppling the Syrian government.
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According to the report, Jumblatt will ask Barak to use his influence in Washington to work toward bringing down the Damascus regime during a meeting expected to take place in the United States.

The report also said that Barak and Jumblatt, who are currently visiting the U.S., will hold talks with the aid of an American of Lebanese origin, and with support from Vice President Dick Cheney.

In the past, Jumblatt was harshly criticized in Lebanon for his meetings with senior Israeli officials while traveling abroad. Lebanese law forbids meetings with Israelis.

Barak left last week for an official visit to the U.S. On Friday, he left Washington D.C. for New York, where he met with UN Chief Ban Ki-Moon. This marks Barak's first U.S. trip since taking office four months ago.

Barak met with senior congressional officials and discussed security issues in the Middle East, primarily the Iranian nuclear threat and the current tensions between Israel and Syria.

He also discussed security relations between Israel and the United States and the peace process with the Palestinians.

On Thursday Barak met with President George W. Bush for an hour-long meeting. The meeting, which was not originally scheduled for Barak's U.S. visit, took place in the office of Stephen Hadley, the U.S. National Security Advisor, with whom Barak had planned to hold talks.

Jumblatt: Hezbollah complicit in Lebanon assassinations
Jumblatt also accused Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group allied with Syria and Iran, of involvement in political assassinations in Lebanon along with its Syrian allies.

Jumblatt visited New York and Washington in recent days and has been urging the U.S. to help Lebanon elect a president before Emile Lahoud's term ends Nov. 24.

Jumblatt's accusations against Syria for the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005 and a string of political killings since then are not new, but leveling the blame against Hezbollah ups the ante between the anti-Syrian leader and the guerrilla group.

In an interview broadcast Sunday on CNN's Late Edition, the political leader of Lebanon's minority Druze, an offshoot Islamic sect, accused Syria of trying to whittle down the anti-Syrian majority in Parliament through assassination to prevent the election of a president who does not answer to Syria.

The majority currently has 68 members in the 128-member legislature after last month's assassination of an anti-Syrian lawmaker. Another anti-Syrian lawmaker was killed by a car bomb in June.

Asked in the interview who was behind the assassinations, the outspoken Jumblatt replied, "I think Syria and its ally, Hezbollah."

Syria has denied any involvement in the assassinations and Hezbollah has condemned such murders. Although allies of Jumblatt have accused the Syrians of being behind the assassinations, they have refrained from directing blame against Hezbollah, which has repeatedly said it is focused on battling Israel.

Jumblatt ridiculed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah's recent accusations that Israel was behind the assassinations, calling it "the biggest joke that I have ever heard."

The Druze leader said Syria should be pressured to stop the assassinations, adding that "as long as Bashar Assad in Syria feels secure, as long as there are no sanctions, effective sanctions against him, military sanctions or economic sanctions, well, he will just go along in Lebanon killing us one by one."

He said that Syria is using the killings to scuttle Parliament's presidential election. A Sept. 25 session to elect a leader failed to achieve momentum after the Hezbollah-led opposition boycotted, preventing a quorum.

Failure to elect a president could throw the country's deep political crisis into a tailspin that could result in a power vacuum or two rival governments, a dark reminder of the last two years of the 1975-90 civil war.

"This is why we've got to stay alive, survive the next few weeks. And then if we are still a majority, we can elect one of us president that will abide by international law and also abide by the international tribunal of justice (in Hariri's assassination), that will one day, I hope, bring the murderers, bring Bashar al-Assad to trial," Jumblatt said.

The Lebanese leader pressed Washington to act and impose sanctions against Assad.

"Look, as long as we have this tyrant, this butcher in Damascus alive, we won't be able to have a democracy, a stable democracy in Lebanon," said Jumblatt. "So this is where I'm asking and I have asked for effective sanctions against this guy, this regime in Damascus."

A one-time ally of the Syrians and Hezbollah who has sharply criticized U.S. Mideast policy in the past, Jumblatt turned against Damascus after Hariri's assassination and became friendly to Washington. Since then, Hezbollah and its allies have left the government, leading to a political stalemate in the country.

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      1.   Druze R Jews 11:21  |  Observer! 21/10/07
      2.   Filthy traitor 11:35  |  indrajaya 21/10/07
      3.   Comes around, goes around 12:41  |  Natallie Durson 21/10/07
      4.   BOMB THE GOLANS TO HELL 12:46  |  VIPER 21/10/07
      5.   There`s hope! 13:14  |  Michael 21/10/07
      6.   message for posts #1-#4 13:33  |  Michel B. 21/10/07
      7.   jumblatt a heavy? 13:54  |  fadi 21/10/07
      8.   ISRAEL WOULD BE ON A HIDING TO NOWHERE 14:03  |  Ian 21/10/07
      9.   Michel B. 14:10  |  Observer! 21/10/07
      10.   It is obvious that the Jews, Christians, Druze and Bahais of this 14:24  |  Rami Khouri 21/10/07
      11.   Rami Khouri 14:37  |  northern neighbor 21/10/07
      12.   This man is not a stable man 14:43  |  Jeff 21/10/07
      13.   Rhami Khouri is 100% On the Money 14:50  |  Jane 21/10/07
      14.   Viper 15:26  |  Sarah 21/10/07
      15.   northern neighbour #11 15:30  |  Sarah 21/10/07
      16.   ISRAEL IS EXPECTING THIS ASKING FOR HELP 15:32  |  indrajaya 21/10/07
      17.   #13 Jane 15:33  |  Sarah 21/10/07
      18.   Short memory 15:35  |  Baz Mann 21/10/07
      19.   Infrajale 15:35  |  dovale 21/10/07
      20.   to Ian of Newcastle, UK 15:35  |  Judah N. Wenkel 21/10/07
      21.   cheap shot on behalf of the syrian media 15:36  |  Dania 21/10/07
      22.   #2 More Muslim Mumbling 15:43  |  Bill Foonman 21/10/07
      23.   Sarah # 14-15 15:53  |  Judah N. Wenkel 21/10/07
      24.   Druze Minority 15:56  |  SMF 21/10/07
      25.   Sarah - We Should 16:03  |  Jane 21/10/07
      26.   Why would you wanna do that? 16:05  |  David 21/10/07
      27.   Why would you wanna do that? 16:05  |  David 21/10/07
      28.   Give up Shebaa, give lebanon to Pal refugees, Lebanese go to hell 16:11  |  Tamir Palestine 21/10/07
      29.   Too many religous in Lebanon, Druze, Shia, Sunni, Christ 16:13  |  Tamir Palestine 21/10/07
      30.   to Dania in Beirut # 21. 16:14  |  Judah N. Wenkel 21/10/07
      31.   Walid Jumblatt a True patriot 16:20  |  Danite 21/10/07
      32.   Interesting Observation 16:20  |  Sol 21/10/07
      33.   #30 Interesting Observation 16:51  |  BillFoonman 21/10/07
      34.   to #17 Sarah 16:57  |  Judah N. Wenkel 21/10/07
      35.   #4 Viper - Really got your dander up, hey? 16:58  |  Yonatan 21/10/07
      36.   Double up buddy 17:18  |  Baz Mann 21/10/07
      37.   lebanon Druze 17:32  |  Jason 21/10/07
      38.   Jumblatt assination talk 17:38  |  Jason 21/10/07
      39.   While being a Palestinian Muslim who grew up in Lebanon, I fully 17:40  |  Fawaz 21/10/07
      40.   Dear #2 17:56  |  the realist 21/10/07
      41.   Junblat is a wothless being. 18:01  |  Jose 21/10/07
      42.   Sham 18:15  |  Paul 21/10/07
      43.   who do you think killed Rafiq Harriri! Mosaad 18:15  |  Shahrzad 21/10/07
      44.   #2 18:16  |  Paul 21/10/07
      45.   Lebanese never learn 18:20  |  I.A. (lebanese) 21/10/07
      46.   To Judah # 28 18:22  |  Dania 21/10/07
      47.   if only I could... 18:25  |  indrajaya 21/10/07
      48.   Exceptionalism Gone Mad 18:30  |  Rowan Berkeley 21/10/07
      49.   To David and Danite 18:34  |  I.A. 21/10/07
      50.   Michel B 18:39  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 21/10/07
      51.   Let Lebs solve their own problems,they`d always blame it on Israe 18:39  |  Absolute Swedem 21/10/07
      52.   To Sarah #15 18:50  |  I.A. 21/10/07
      53.   We are not the police of ME. But a Druze state is deserved 19:11  |  Alain 21/10/07
      54.   If only Bush and Sharon had had the sense to keep Syria inLebanon 19:14  |  Tosefta 21/10/07
      55.   Validity of the article 19:40  |  William 21/10/07
      56.   Lebanon should make peace with Israel, best for all parties 19:45  |  David 21/10/07
      57.   Toseftas ludicrous fantasies 20:22  |  danite 21/10/07
      58.   God help us 20:28  |  john 21/10/07
      59.   to # 35 Tosefta in Tveria 20:36  |  Judah N. Wenkel 21/10/07
      60.   Its obvious that Junmblat is missing his dad 20:38  |  SSNP 21/10/07
      61.   Alain and the druze state 20:49  |  northern neighbor 21/10/07
      62.   # 4 Viper, Jumblatt lives in villge south of Beirut 20:58  |  Haham me Bat Yam 21/10/07
      63.   Israel is not going to do it. 21:01  |  Avi Yerushalmi 21/10/07
      64.   Israel is not going to do it. 21:01  |  Avi Yerushalmi 21/10/07
      65.   BOMB THE GOLANIANS TO HELL 22:28  |  kiefko 21/10/07
      66.   BOMBING THE GOLIANS TO HELL 22:32  |  kiefko 21/10/07
      67.   Lebanese Druze are unrealiable partners 22:38  |  Joseph 21/10/07
      68.   Tosefta dear 22:41  |  northern neighbor 21/10/07
      69.   You`re NAIVE: Syria is revenging from Jumblatt by spreading this 22:56  |  Paul 21/10/07