Jumblat Slams 'Stupidity' of Some Officials over Qaida Remarks
Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat accused on Monday officials in Lebanon of resorting to claiming that the al-Qaida terrorist group had infiltrated in order to serve their interests.
He said in his weekly editorial in the PSP-affiliated al-Anbaa magazine: “The stupidity of those individuals did not take into account the sensitivity of the situation in the region when they said that al-Qaida had entered the town of Arsal.”
“They did not take into consideration the negative repercussions that their statements would have on the town,” he added.
Furthermore, he said that some politicians and security officials did not hesitate to announce that al-Qaida had infiltrated Arsal, “completely disregarding the town’s rich Arab history.”
“The issue of al-Qaida, should it exist in Lebanon, should not be addressed through the media and various television debates, but through the specialized official circles,” stressed Jumblat.
Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn had stated a few weeks ago that al-Qaida members had entered Arsal.
The statements came shortly before twin bombings in Damascus that killed over 40 people.
The Syrian regime accused al-Qaida of being behind the attack.
The March 14-led opposition slammed Ghosn’s statements, saying that they were an attempt to link Lebanon to the instability in Syria.
Addressing the situation in Syria, Jumblat praised the Arab ministerial committee’s efforts in ending the crisis, saying that they have realized the importance of a political solution to the matter.
“We look forward to a time when the Arab League would represent the free Arab people and we hope that it would meet their aspirations for equality, freedom, and democracy,” added the PSP leader.
Turning to the various Syrian activists and their “peaceful political struggle”, he remarked: “I apologize for taking too long to join the rest of the people demanding Syria’s freedom.”
“I hope the crisis will end as soon as possible and that a new, free, and democratic Syria would emerge,” Jumblat concluded.
Source: Naharnet
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