Saudi Gazette Q: You've always been blaming Syria for the killings without any evidence. What makes you to level such accusations in the first place? Jumblatt: To begin with, let me inform you my father was a victim of the butchery of the late Syrian president, Hafez Al-Assad. Scores of prominent writers, politicians, and clerics — René Moawad, Mufti (Hassan) Khaled, Salim Al-Lawzi, Kamal Jumblatt, just to name a few—were put to sword in his regime. So the Syrian regime has a record of assassinations in and outside of Syria. Thankfully, with the help of Syrian allies Lebanon was divided. There were no reason that Lebanon should plunge into civil war as peace was established once the country reconciled. We thought we could implement the state of Lebanon all over Lebanese territory. We denied to renew the mandate of the former Lebanese president, Emil Lahoud. We were a minority—29 members out of 128. This was the time when hell hell broke loose on us and the series of killings began. Marwan Hmaideh nearly escaped death but Al-Hariri was killed. Samir Qassir, a prominent critic of the Baath regime, was killed. George Hawi, a prominent politician and head of the resistance, was killed. The latest one was Antoine Ghanem. Not to say, General Francois Hajj, who might have also been targeted by the Syrians. Q: You didn't ever say publicly that they killed your father. Why? Jumblatt: All I can say is that I had to make a pact with the devil. Q: Given the fact that you've maintained silence for well over 20 years, what makes you believe that you could be an effective leader? Jumblatt: My community and my party are a priority, moreover, the Arab culture in Lebanon was falling prey to the Israeli ambitions in Lebanon. I had no choice but to fix a pact with the devil and even shake hands with the one who had killed my father. Q: Does that mean you were lying to the Syrians? Jumblatt: Yes, of course. I agree I could not stand against the bunch of murderers that formed the Syrian regime. I had to be practical and I needed weapons and facilities. I got weapons from the Soviet Union which I guess is no secret. The independence of my country is very dear to me and I don't want ant external influence on my my country. I don't want either the Iranians or the Syrians occupy my country. Q: But the American interference is welcome. Jumblatt: I don't think you have GIs on Lebanese soil, and we will refuse any military intervention from the Americans also. Q: I understand the differences and Iranian officials coming to Lebanon, and calling on the March 14 allies to go and vote for a president, is not welcome. But you seem comfortable with the visit of the aide to US Secretary of State, David Walsh, calling on you to go and vote for a president, even with the half plus one, without consensus which is readily acceptable to you because you're a part of US project. Jumblatt: There's a party receiving weapons, ammunition, and money from Syria and Tehran trying to imposing its will. They want to paralyze our economy. Q: But you're paralyzing the whole country, or trying to impose your control in whatever way possible. Jumblatt: I'm not. I'm stuck in my home. Don't you see I'm just paralyzed in my own home, waiting for another car bomb fixed by the Syrians, the allies of Hezbollah. Q: You're not going to give (the opposition) veto power, because you are scared you might lose your popularity. Jumblatt: I'm not going to give up the veto power for a military group, for Hezbollah. No. Okay? Is that clear? They can take it by force, over our dead bodies, but I will not give up veto power for the sake of Hezbollah, their allies, and the Syrian regime. I think I'm clear. Q: It seems you're comfortable in extending cooperation with the Americans but not your own fellow citizens. Jumblatt: I don't have any problems speaking to anyone in my country if they accept the rule of democracy without weapons or car bombs. Q: So you blame Hezbollah of being behind these assassinations and car bombs. Jumblatt: It is not a secret and I have said it before and I say it again. Yes, I'm accusing Hezbollah of facilitating or ignoring Syrian car bombs and killings I'm not the one who blocked downtown, and I'm not the one who closed the parliament. Q: Why do you give yourself every right to do whatever you want, the way you want, and you don't give them the right? Jumblatt: Huh! They have the right to bring weapons and money to their militia, and they have the right to destroy my economy and my city. Would you still call it opposition? These are savage people, not an opposition. Q: Constitutionally, you've the key to all the issues. Why don't you turn it and work out a solution? Jumblatt: I will not surrender to their will to have veto power on every major and minor decision in the government. I'm not going to accept any surrender. If they want to defeat me, they just have to kill two more ministers and they will defeat me. But it's not going to be a victory for them to have blood on their hands.I'm not going to give concessions to someone who is fixing a gun on my head. Okay? I'm here. I don't have guns. He's fixing a gun, a rocket on my head. (Contributed by MEMRI/ World Council for the Cedars Revolution; edited) __
