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Hizbullah Leader Nasrallah to Lebanese Druze Leader Jumblatt: You'll Be Assad's Guest!
The Al-Manar (Hizbullah) website reports that "finally, the conflict between the Syrian leadership and the head of the Democratic Gathering MP Walid Jumblatt seems to have reached its 'end.'"
Yesterday, according to the website and to the Lebanese daily Al-Safir, Hizbullah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah informed Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt that the Syrian leadership would open a new chapter in its relations with him. The website reported that Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad would receive Jumblatt in Damascus at a date to be announced later..
The announcement came in a statement issued by Hizbullah media relations yesterday.
"In the framework of the mediation initiated by Hizbullah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah with the Syrian leadership, which came upon the request of Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt, and following the clear stances and the courageous revision he has made concerning the happenings and developments of the previous phase and following his reconfirmation of the essential political principles especially in what concerns the relation with Syria, the Resistance and Palestine, Sayyed Nasrallah informed MP Walid Jumblatt this evening that the Syrian leadership, committed to establish the best relations with all Lebanese and all political forces in Lebanon and taking into account his latest stances, has decided to exceed what has happened during the previous phase and will open a new page it hopes it would be beneficial for all parties," the statement said, according to the website.
"Sayyed Nasrallah told Jumblatt that Syrian President Bachar Assad will receive him in Damascus during the visit he would pay to the Syrian capital at a date to be announced in the few coming days," the statement concluded.
On Saturday, according to the website, Jumblatt acknowledged that he had offended Assad in a moment of anger, and hoped the latter would accept to open a new page with him. "I have used improper language and I'm not sure that Assad could tolerate this," he said. Nevertheless, he urged the Syrian leadership to turn a page on the past for the sake of both countries' interests. "In the past I would say: 'Forgive but don't forget.' Today I say: 'forgive and forget,'" he stressed.
The website reported that in his first reaction to Nasrallah's "good news,” Jumblatt stressed that the previous phase with Syria was over, and stressed that he will never return to it. He revealed that there are a lot of things he wants to tell Assad when he meets him. He thanked Nasrallah as well as Lebanese parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri, MP Talal Erslan, and former minister Wiam Wahhab for their efforts during the previous phase.
Source: Almanar.com.lb, March 15, 2010; Al-Safir, Lebanon, March 16, 2010
Posted at: 2010-03-16
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