to send a clear message to Walid Jumblatt.

The Chouf area is known to be the stronghold of the Druze in Lebanon and Jumblatt ( R) is the undisputed leader of the Druze community. This action by the Syrian intelligence will be taken as a ‘declaration of war’ according to sources close to Jumblatt .

Jumblatt has been the most outspoken Lebanese leader in favor of the International tribunal. The purpose of the tribunal is to bring to justice all those involved in the murder of former PM Rafik Hariri. Syria has been accused of assassinating Hariri, but the Syrian regime denied.

The sources said that the Syrian intelligence operation in charge of Lebanon includes General Rustom Ghazali,( who was based in Lebanon until Syria withdrew in April 2005) and General Mohammad Khallouf, a relative of president Assad.

The operation took the decision to destabilize the Chouf after president Assad received a report from Speaker Berri , advising him that he is in a very tight corner with regards to the tribunal. After using all delay tactics and all available means to delay the decision , he has reached a dead end situation and may be forced to take a decision on the tribunal.

The Syrian intelligence accordingly sent orders to former pro- Syrian minister Wiam Wahab, former pro- Syrian minister Talal Arslan and the Syrian Social Nationalist Party ( SSNP) to ask their supporters and members to initiate trouble and disorder in the Chouf area by attacking members of the Progressive Socialist party , which is headed by Walid Jumblatt.

Accordingly the sources added , the Syrian intelligence has requested the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command and which is headed by the fugitive Ahmad Jibril to provide the required logistics for the Chouf destabilizing project. PFLP has a base in the Nahemet village of the Chouf region.

The Syrian intelligence has also assigned former pro-Syrian Minister Abdel Rahim Murad as the coordinator of this destabilizing project and to report directly to Ghazali.

The Lebanese security sources have expressed their concern about this new development since it could lead to country wide destabilization which will eventually lead to a civil war.

Ya Libnan