In the fifteenth episode of the “Witness to the Era” program, former President of the Progressive Socialist Party, Walid Jumblatt, revealed details related to his positions during the period after the assassination of Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and the July 2006 war, in addition to his relationship with the American administration, the Syrian regime, and internal and regional files.
Jumblatt said that he was prevented from entering Washington after his positions on the invasion of Iraq in 2003, before Jeffrey Feltman arranged his visit to the United States in 2006, noting that circumstances imposed a change in the American position towards him after the assassination of Rafik Hariri.
He added that Ghattas Khoury informed him, while he was in Washington, of the possibility of holding a meeting with US President George W. Bush, explaining that his goal in the meeting was to achieve justice in the case of Rafik Hariri, and that this goal did not change, pointing out that Bush listened to them, but that the executive decisions at that time belonged to the National Security Advisor.
Jumblatt considered that the assassination of Hariri caused a major political earthquake, but he acknowledged that the goal of putting pressure on the Syrian regime was not achieved. He also saw that Iran succeeded when it destroyed the Arab or Sunni barrier facing it in Iraq, which allowed it to enter Syria and reach Lebanon.
He pointed out that American support for the March 14 forces was limited at the political level, adding that the lectures he gave at research centers in Washington did not change the course of major politics, considering that these centers are “meaningless” today.
He explained that the terms of the dialogue after the assassination of Hariri included the international court, border demarcation, and Palestinian weapons outside the camps, in addition to the discussion about the exclusivity of weapons, pointing out that “the forces on the ground are always stronger,” and that Hezbollah is rooted in the land, as was the Syrian regime.
He added that the Syrian regime was a necessity for the Americans in 2006, even though they expelled it from Lebanon due to popular pressure, noting that Rustom Ghazali asked the Lebanese army to confront the March 14 crowd, but the crowds took to the squares and remained there.
Regarding the July War, Jumblatt said that his positions were based on the fact that the south was liberated in 2000, stressing that he was against the war, and pointing out that Resolution 242 did not include Lebanon, but rather Syria, the Shebaa Farms, Egypt and Jordan.
He revealed that when he saw Israeli tanks burning in the Marjayoun Plain, he said: “You won, Mr. Hassan, but to whom will you dedicate this victory?”
He concluded by noting that the reconstruction of the southern suburbs and the south after the 2006 war was achieved through “effective Qatari support.”
