Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt revealed on Monday his initiative for ending Lebanon tension which calls for rejecting the use of Lebanon by Iran to improve its negotiating position with the western countries over its nuclear program, and rejecting the use of Lebanon as a base to fight Iran.
“Lebanon is not the Gaza Strip; we do not want the Islamic Republic of Iran to use Lebanon to improve improve its negotiating position with the US, and we do not want some of the Arab countries to use Lebanon to fight Iran,” Jumblatt said.
There is growing concern in Lebanon and the Arab world that Iran is increasingly trying to rely on the use of militant groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza to improve its negotiating position with the US and the west over its nuclear program.
Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah defended Iran during the weekend and warned against regarding it as an enemy . Nasrallah also boasted about Hezbollah’s capabilities and warned Israel that he has rockets to reach every one of its cities .
Here is a summary of Jumblatt’s initiative :
– He reiterated the importance of Dialogue to resolve the current political impasse in Lebanon.
“Only dialogue can serve Lebanon, and not fiery rhetoric,” Jumblatt said
– He called for following the advice of international powers over the change of government in Lebanon , “which says that the cabinet can be changed only if the circumstances were suitable for such change.”
– He stressed if efforts fail to form a national unity cabinet and if the current cabinet falls, he would still nominate Prime Minister Najib Mikati to form a new cabinet.
– He called for abiding by the disassociation policy and accused Hezbollah and some March 14 parties of continuing to participate in the conflict in neighboring Syria.
“The resistance [Hezbollah] is not abiding by the disassociation policy slogan… and some of the March 14 parties fight in Syria [without realizing that] they are tools in a conflict that is greater than Lebanon,” Jumblatt said.
– Jumblatt cautioned against reminding Hezbollah at every occasion that its members were indicted by the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon for involvement in in the murder of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri.
“Is it necessary to remind Hezbollah of STL’s indictment every time and everywhere? Don’t some people realize that this reminder would further increase the split between the two [Muslim] sects?” Jumblatt asked.
He called on Hezbollah to present the proof it claimed it has on Israeli involvement in Hariri murder to the UN backed tribunal and urged the militant group to go to the court and defend its members
The Netherlands-based court indicted four Hezbollah members in Hariri’s killing. However, Hezbollah strongly denied the charges and continues to refuse to cooperate with the court.
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