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1. Ahmad Abu Adass In 2005, the last year of his life, Ahmad Abu Adass was 22 and still living with his parents in Beirut, Lebanon. He was kind and liked people, his friends later told investigators, but none of them thought he was very sophisticated. The best way to describe him was simple, one said. He was generous and a little naïve. He was very weak, physically. A Sunni Muslim of Palestinian descent, Adass had become interested in religion and now spent many hours at the Arab University Mosque near his home. It was there, after a prayer session,...

EXCLUSIVE - Lebanese Official Claims To Breitbart: NATO 'Okayed' Turkey's Downing Of Russian Jet. [ Full title ]. Turkey could only have shot down a Russian Su-24 military jet after securing permission from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), charged Lebanon's Druze leader Walid Jumblatt in an exclusive interview with Breitbart. The Turks cannot afford to shoot down a Russian plane, being a member of NATO, without asking the permission of NATO. They have to ask NATO. It's NATO, said Jumblatt, a member of parliament and leader of Lebanon's Progressive Socialist Party. Jumblatt is considered the leader of Lebanon's historic...

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Saad al-Hariri has taken a holiday to "think and reflect" after a once close ally quit his anti-Syria coalition in a move expected to delay the formation of a new government. Druze leader Walid Jumblatt's departure from Hariri's "March 14" alliance this week has redrawn Lebanon's political map and undermined the coalition's June parliamentary election victory over rivals including the powerful Iran-backed Hezbollah group. Hariri, a Saudi- and U.S.-backed billionaire businessman, had been expected to conclude talks this week on the formation of a coalition government grouping his alliance with parties allied to Syria,...

BEIRUT: Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt called over the weekend for a ban on flights from Iran to Beirut's airport, accusing Hizbullah of flying in arms from the Islamic Republic. At a news conference on Saturday, the outspoken MP also called for the expulsion of Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Reza Shibani and the sacking of the head of security at the airport, General Ayman Shoucair, over his alleged links to Hizbullah During the press conference at his residence in Mukhtara, Jumblatt showed reporters what he said was an exchange of mail between Defense Minister Elias Murr and army intelligence...

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A senior member of Lebanon's governing coalition said on Sunday military action was not on the table for ending a standoff between the Lebanese army and militants holed up in a Palestinian refugee camp. Druze leader Walid Jumblatt demanded the handing over of the Fatah al-Islam Islamist militants, who have been battling the army at the Nahr al-Bared camp for a week in Lebanon's worst internal violence since the 1975-1990 civil war. "Nobody has proposed a military settlement. But we want the murderers handed over to Lebanese justice," Jumblatt said. The army is not allowed into Lebanon's...

Excerpt - WASHINGTON, March 1 (UPI) -- Lebanon's charismatic Druze leader Walid Jumblatt was in Washington this week seeking support from the Bush administration for the pro-democracy March 14 Movement and for the beleaguered Lebanese government led by Prime Minister Fouad Siniora. The leader of the Lebanese Progressive Socialist Party who in the past tended to gravitate more towards the Soviet Union -- at least from a philosophical perspective -- thanked President George W. Bush and French President Jacques Chirac for their help and support in getting the Syrians out of Lebanon. At the same time, Jumblatt raised a worrying...

Walid Jumblatt - the most fierce liberal in Lebanon Jumblatt’s history with the imperial Baath government is a long and twisting one. His father Kamal was assassinated by Syrian agents during the civil war in 1977. The details of the assassination are shrouded in mystery even today. In the most common version Baath-aligned terrorists in the Syrian Social Nationalist Party pulled the trigger. Another (unreliable) version of the story goes like this, as told to me by a young Druze friend while we stood on the murder site in the Chouf: Kamal Jumblatt was ambushed on the forested road by...

Hundreds of Lebanese mourners pressed on Wednesday to touch the coffin of minister Pierre Gemayel whose assassination, blamed by his allies on Syria, stoked fears of more killings and a surge in factional violence.Fear and anger gripped the country as it prepared to bury Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel, a Christian, who was gunned down as he drove through a Beirut suburb on Tuesday. He was the sixth anti-Syrian politician to be killed in nearly two years.Several prominent anti-Syrian leaders said the killing was the work of Damascus and they expected the murders of more politicians who had spearheaded protests that...

BEIRUT, Lebanon - Hundreds of thousands of Lebanese turned the funeral Thursday for a slain Christian government minister into a massive demonstration of anger against Syria and its allies. The sprawling funeral for Pierre Gemayel reinvigorated suporters of the U.S.-backed government in a power struggle with Syrian-backed Hezbollah and its allies threatening to split this small Mideast nations along sectarian lines. Police estimated some 800,000 people participated in the rally and funeral. "The second independence uprising was launched today for change and it will not stop," Gemayel's father, former President Amin Gemayel, told the crowd in downtown Beirut, speaking from...

Beirut: The leader of the anti-Syrian Druze’s in Lebanon has blamed Damascus for the assassination of Pierre Gemayel. Walid Jumblatt also said he expected more killings which he claims are aimed at undermining the parliament’s small ruling majority. Speaking on Wednesday, he said: "It seems the Syrian regime will continue with the assassinations. I expect more assassinations but no matter what they do, we are here and we will be victorious.” Jumblatt said Syria was trying to derail an international court to try suspects in the killing of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. He also reiterated his accusation that Syrian...

Lebanon Faces Political Crisis in Aftermath of War: Tensions Escalate Between 'March 14 Forces' and Hizbullah, Pro-Syrian Camp Introduction In the aftermath of the July-August 2006 war, political tension between Hizbullah and the "March 14 Forces" [1] is increasing - to the point that street clashes may break out by November 13. Once the war ended, Hizbullah, together with other pro-Syria elements in Lebanon such as General Michel Aoun, launched a scathing campaign against the current Lebanese government under Prime Minister Fuad Al-Siniora, and particularly against the majority in the Lebanese parliament, that is, the March 14 Forces. On October...

25 September, 2006 LEBANON Lebanese Forces and Druze say no to Hezbollah’s demands Geagea and Jumblatt say a national unity government cannot be created as long as Hezbollah’s is aligned on Syria’s positions. Patriarch Sfeir slams those who place their own partisan interests above those of the nation. Beirut (AsiaNews) – The Samir Geagea and his Maronite-dominated Lebanese Forces’ and Walid Jumblatt and his predominantly Druze Progressive Socialist Party have said no to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s “victory over Israel” speech in which he demanded a national unity government that would give his party a greater place.For Samir Geagea,...

Syria on the Move in Lebanon and Iraq 20:11 Nov 19, '06 / 28 Cheshvan 5767 by Ezra HaLevi Syrian-backed Hizbullah may be poised to stage a revolution in Lebanon as back-room negotiations between the US and Syria may result in Israel being pressured to give up the Golan Heights. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem began a visit to Iraq on Sunday. The visit will include meetings with US officials in Iraq at which Moallem will relay Syria’s demand that Israel retreat from the Golan Heights in return for Syrian cooperation in Iraq. The insurgents that have plagued US troops...

Jumblatt: Syrian regime responsible for assassination Druze leader in Lebanon fears Damascus will carry out more killings, warns US Iraqi withdrawal will cause 'chaos' Aaron Klein, WND Published:  11.22.06, 18:20 P{margin:0;} UL{margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;margin-right: 16; padding-right:0;} OL{margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;margin-right: 32; padding-right:0;} P.pHeader {margin-bottom:3px;COLOR: #192862;font-size: 16px;font-weight: bold;} The Syrian government was responsible for the assassination  Tuesday of Lebanon's Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel and will likely attempt more killings with the goal of destabilizing Lebanon, the country's Druze Leader Walid Jumblatt told WorldNetDaily in an interview today. Jumblatt is head of Lebanon's Progressive Socialist Party and is widely considered the most prominent anti-Syrian Lebanese politician.   "The...

Beirut - The assassination of Pierre Gemayel means that two more ministers need to resign or be killed in order to bring down the anti-Syrian government. As if one assassination were not enough bloodshed for one day, the murderers proceeded to target another anti-Syrian Member of Parliament - Michel Pharaon. Syria's allies in Lebanon are planning to take the streets on Thursday to demand the government resign. The pro-Syrian allies in Lebanon include Hezbollah, Michel Aoun's political party and Nabih Berri's Amal movement. Syria behind violent overthrow? As documented in the U.N. investigation, Syria has openly threatened Lebanese politicians...

Druze leader Walid Jumblat has warned that Lebanon was on the verge of a coup d'état as Hizbullah supporters were allegedly geared up for mass street protests on Thursday. The leading daily An Nahar said Monday that the demonstrations would most likely take place on Thursday, the day Premier Fouad Saniora's cabinet is to convene. Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah urged his followers and pro-Syrian allies to be "psychologically" ready for mass demonstrations to topple Saniora's anti-Syrian government. Jumblat, in turn, warned that "we are on the verge of a coup … through gradual street protests and possible collective...

Druze leader Walid Jumblat has warned that Lebanon was on the verge of a coup d'état as Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah urged his followers to prepare for mass street protests to topple the anti-Syrian government. "We are on the verge of a coup … through gradual street protests and possible collective resignations from (public) sections and from parliament … then riots and civil disobedience," Jumblat warned in a speech published by Lebanese newspapers on Monday. His remarks came shortly before a speech by Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was broadcast Sunday afternoon. Nasrallah, who did not set a...

Lebanon's Druze leader says militants' agenda will lead to disaster MUKHTARA, Lebanon -- Ensconced in his ancestral castle, perched high in the mountains above Beirut, Druze leader Walid Jumblatt is articulating some boldly unorthodox views on the conflict engulfing his country. As a fierce critic of Hezbollah and its role in provoking a war with Israel, Jumblatt has emerged as a lone voice of dissent amid the clamor of pro-Hezbollah cheerleading that has gripped much of Lebanon and turned Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah into a national hero. "If I were opportunistic, I would tell you now, `Long live Nasrallah.' I...

As Lebanon plunges deeper into ruin and chaos as a result of Hizballah’s “gang war” tactics against Israel’s expanded military campaign to degrade the power of the Islamist party, Hizballah, Syria, and its allies in Lebanon are devising plans to subvert an international agreement on a multinational force to guard the Israel-Lebanon border. They are also preparing for a political comeback in a postconflict Lebanon by riding the wave of the victory Hizballah is sure to claim whatever the outcome—a supposed triumph that in reality will be at best a Pyrrhic victory. Hizballah’s Political Offensive From the time the...

Beirut, 4 August (AKI) - Young Lebanese are trying to break the isolation brought upon by the war with Israel by expressing their thoughts are recounting their experiences on Internet web logs, or blogs and online diaries. To communicate with the outside world many of the blogs are in English. One of around 15 popular sites that have sprung up since the conflict began on 12 July is LebanonsUpdates which provides a chronology of the fighting and the diplomatic moves afoot to bring peace. Operated by a group of eight friends in their 20s the site also provides maps indicating...