Jumblat: General Security has Become a Proxy for Syrian Regime

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat on Wednesday charged that “the General Security has become a proxy for the Syrian regime,” voicing solidarity with President Michel Suleiman over the issue of administrative appointments.

The General Directorate of General Security “has become a proxy for the Syrian regime and it acted in a foolish way, as it could have sent a judicial warrant to (Salafist activist Shadi) al-Mawlawi instead of luring him into a trap, not to mention the story of the Jordanian who was exported by Iran to Syria and by Syria to Lebanon in a story that reminds us of Shaker al-Absi.”

Mawlawi’s arrest on Saturday in the northern city of Tripoli by General Security agents had infuriated the city’s Islamists and sparked three days of deadly clashes that left nine people dead and more than 90 wounded. Clashes renewed for several hours on Wednesday in the city, leaving one person dead and at least 10 wounded.

Mawlawi was arrested on charges of belonging to a terrorist organization, but his supporters say he was targeted because of his help for Syrian refugees fleeing to Lebanon.

General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim on Tuesday confirmed media reports that the arrest of Mawlawi was coordinated with a Western security agency, noting that al-Qaida exists in Lebanon and hinting that Mawlawi is a Qaida member.

Local newspapers reported on Wednesday that Western security agencies have warned Lebanese officials that terrorist militants linked to an extremist organization have infiltrated the country recently to plot political assassinations.

Commenting on the reports, Jumblat said: “Where will they come from? From the Beirut airport which is under General Security’s authority? From the borders which are under the army’s authority? This myth reminds me of Abu Adas.”

Jumblat accused Syrian of seeking to end the Lebanese government’s so-called self-disassociation policy towards the crisis in the neighboring country, noting that “they want the government to support the Syrian policy and to make Lebanon a proxy, and the Syrian ambassador proved that by calling for implementing the (Lebanese-Syrian) treaty.”

“They believe that no voice should be higher than that of the Syrian regime,” he added.

Answering a question, Jumblat said: “I will maintain my centrist position as well as my opposition against the violence face of the Syrian regime and some of its allies that has started to appear in Lebanon.”

And as he declined to respond to Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun’s recent charges, Jumblat noted that President Michel Suleiman “has stood his ground bravely concerning the settlement over the issue of the eight billions and the 11 billions, and when he refused to implement the terms of the treaty with Syria and to hand over some Free (Syrian) Army troops to the slaughterers” in Syria.

Jumblat stressed that he will throw his support behind Suleiman in rejecting the proposed administrative appointments, saying they were “worse than the appointments made by Anjar during Rustom Ghazali’s era.”

Jumblat also called on Prime Minister Najib Miqati to maintain his centrist position.

Asked whether he will ask his ministers to resign from government, Jumblat said: “Everything will happen at the right time.”

The PSP leader also noted that calls for endorsing an electoral law based on the proportional representation system were “aimed at electing a submissive parliament and a president who is worse than (former) president (Emile) Lahoud.”