Al Mustaqbal newspaper said Thursday Khaddam made his proposal during a telephone conversation with Jumblatt, who answered that he had no objections.

A Syrian military court in Feb. issued a lawsuit against Jumblatt for "inciting the U.S. administration to occupy Syria" as well as "defaming" Damascus by blaming it for attacks on anti-Syrian figures.

The case against the Druze leader falls under Article 298 of the Syrian penal code according to which such a crime is punishable by life imprisonment with hard labor.

It is not clear how Khaddam, a defector who is now living in self-exile in Paris, would be able to act as Jumblatt 's legal representative in a Syrian court case.

The Druze leader has told The Washington Post that the United States should topple Bashar Assad's regime and bring the Syrian leader to trial before an internationally-recognized tribunal.

Similarly, Khaddam has called for the overthrow of the Assad regime prompting a Syrian military court to charge him with inciting a foreign attack against Syria and plotting to take power.

Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamadeh revealed on April 3 that a Syrian penal tribunal issued last month arrest warrants against him, Jumblat and journalist Fares Khashan.

Hamadeh said after the issuance that he considers the subpoenas a security threat against him and the two others. He did not say what the charges are or if they are related to the earlier case against Jumblat.

Jumblatt is one of the key leaders of the anti-Syrian parliamentary majority that accuses Damascus of involvement in attacks against Lebanese politicians and journalists including the massive bombing that killed former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in Feb. 2005.

Hamadeh, Jumblatt's key aide, survived an assassination attempt in Oct. 2004 that was largely blamed on Syria.

Khashan, a columnist with the Hariri-owned Al Mustaqbal newspaper, regularly launches scathing attacks against Assad's regime.

The three figures are said to be on a hit list of anti-Syrian activists targeted for assassination.

Jumblatt has revealed last week the name of the Syrian intelligence officer that assassinated his father 3 decades ago. Jumblatt has been on Syria's hit list ever since he objected to the extension of the term of Lebanon's president Emile Lahoud.

Source: Naharnet, Ya Libnan