Jumblatt slams China, Russia for supporting Assad

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt who has become one of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s staunchest critics slammed Russia and China’s support for Syrian regime .

“Russia and China have supported the regime against the interests of the Syrian people; the double standard of some countries is strange, especially with regard to those who condemn any foreign intervention while at the same time supplying the Syrian regime with weapons, equipment and expertise,” he said during an interview with Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram.

Jumblatt urged both Russia and Iran to convince Assad that the only solution to the crisis in Syria is his departure along with a drastic change in the regime.

Jumblatt also criticized calls for military intervention in Syria and warned that this would sow anarchy in that country and neighboring Lebanon.

“If foreign intervention were to take place in Syria, chaos would reign over Syria and Lebanon and it might lead to civil and regional wars at the expense of the Syrian people.”

Lebanon’s political scene is split between supporters of the Syrian regime, led by Hezbollah which has endorsed Assad’s claim that he is fighting terrorists , and the March 14 alliance which is supporting the Syrian pro-democracy revolution.

Jumblatt praised Hezbollah’s stance against Israeli threats to Lebanon but criticized its position on the events in Syria :

“[Hezbollah chief] Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s pro-regime stance goes against the desires of the Syrian people, their ambitions, freedom and dignity,” said Jumblatt, who remains part of the Hezbollah-led March 8 alliance

Noting that that the Syrian regime protects Iranian influence in the Mediterranean and that the fall of the regime would mean the end of such influence. He added :“As for Hezbollah, they exist and have weapons which should be preserved and incorporated into the framework of the Lebanese State.”

Photo: MP Walid Jumblatt lighting a candle during Wednesday’s vigil at the Samir Kassir memorial garden in Downtown Beirut. Jumblatt, his wife Noura as well as a PSP delegation took part in the rally against the Syrian regime. Jumblatt is holding a flyer that reads ” Homs ” the besieged Syrian city just north of Lebanon