Jumblat Says IS's Terror Compels Lebanese Unity
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Progressive Socialist Party chief Walid Jumblat renewed his call on rival Lebanese parties to unite to confront the danger of terrorists and salvage Lebanon.
Jumblat said that he agreed with Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah during their meeting last month that the Islamic State's threat to the region puts Lebanon in danger.
In remarks to As Safir daily published on Tuesday, the MP said: “the IS's terrorism that is crawling to the region, poses an existential threat not just on Lebanon but on all the region's countries and peoples.”
“I hope that everyone would understand what's happening and would meet and unite out of their keenness to confront this threat and salvage Lebanon,” he said.
He urged the rival leaders “to put all their differences aside and reach common ground on this essential point.”
Islamic State (IS) jihadists launched in early June a major offensive in northern Iraq, sweeping Iraqi security forces aside.
The militants have declared a "caliphate" straddling vast areas of Iraq and Syria.
Earlier this month, IS and al-Nusra Front fighters entered the northeastern town of Arsal and engaged in bloody battles with the Lebanese army. The jihadists withdrew to Syrian territories a few days later but the seizure of Arsal marked the first time that extremists from Syria carried out a large-scale incursion into Lebanon.
Jumblat reiterated his call for the speedy election of a president to end the vacuum at Baabda Palace.
Lebanon has been without a head of state since May 25 when President Michel Suleiman's six-year term ended amid parliament's failure to agree on a compromise candidate.
Jumblat met with Marada Movement leader Suleiman Franjieh in Bnashii on Monday, announcing that he has no solutions to end the presidential vacuum.
"I said I will hold talks (with political leaders) and I will carry on with these talks but it is not me who has the solution,” he said after his talks with Franjieh.
Jumblat has so far met with Nasrallah and Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun.
He is also expected to visit Kataeb party leader Amin Gemayel and Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea.
G.K.
H.K.
19 August 2014, 08:07
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Jumblat met with Marada Movement leader Suleiman Franjieh in Bnashii on Monday, announcing that he has no solutions to end the presidential vacuum.
If you are looking for real initiatives and/or concessions to break the presidential deadlock, then you are talking to the wrong side. They have made it clear that their 'aoun or no body' stance is the only concession they are prepared to give, while the other side have agreed to step aside, put forward new names, offered to met and agree on an alternative and, and, and. So you see Walid if you are serious, then withdraw helou pick a side and end the stalemate.
19 August 2014, 14:04
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No it's Geagea or helou at the moment but the guy no body wants is causing vacuum cause nobody wants him. Hmmm
19 August 2014, 14:21
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"while the other side have agreed to step aside, put forward new names, offered to met and agree on an alternative and, and, and"
and and and i'm still waiting for you to tell me what new name was put forward when geagea "stepped aside".
19 August 2014, 14:40
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Come on now mowaten don't be lazy look it up yourself, you really need to stay with the news if you pretend to have an opinion. I'll summarise it for you, regardless of what concessions, names,initiatives, offers of any sort, if they don't included aoun or nobody they are rejected.
19 August 2014, 15:32
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hahahah typical m14. they make false claims and when asked to back them up with facts they run away telling you to go find them yourself.
i'm not interested in your summaries forces, especially if you're summarizing BS that you're unable to back up.
19 August 2014, 16:38
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Dear Walid,
Lebanese is and will always be ther.
but what you are calling for is unity with iranians, and that will never happen.
you do not fight an extremist and unite with another one following the order of iran!
19 August 2014, 16:54
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blah blah blah same old pretext to antagonize and deny citizenship of those you're unwilling to cooperate with.
if m8 is iranian, mustaqbal is saudi and lebanese forces are israeli...
and then, who's left to be considered lebanese? maybe the palestinian refugees lol
19 August 2014, 08:19
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Till some centuries ago people,based on their upbringing and education, believed that planet earth was flat. The significant majority of people in Lebanon, based on their upbringing ,believes that people from other religions are untrustworthy and are the enemy ;this mindset became a way of life and a culture in this country, obviously all existing political and religious leaders want to keep it this way, and the reason is very simple, they know that the moment the Lebanese will find out that planet earth is not flat, these political and religious leaders will have no value and become obsolete.
