BEIRUT: The Nusra Front is not a terrorist organization, Progressive Socialist Party Leader Walid Jumblatt said Tuesday night, as he called for talks with all opposition factions, including ISIS, in a political settlement over Syria.
“I don’t consider the Nusra Front to be terrorists,” Jumblatt said in a televised interview on OTV, arguing that the group is comprised of “Syrian citizens” who operate within a war-torn environment.
The PSP chief said that the only solution for the Syrian crisis is a political settlement that accommodates all elements of the Syrian opposition, going as far as saying that even "ISIS should be asked about its prospects for Syria."
“There is a need for a quick settlement to protect Syria’s unity, in which no component of the Syrian opposition should be left out, not even the Islamic State (ISIS),” Jumblatt added.
Jumblatt who leads the 11-man-strong Democratic Gathering Bloc in Parliament projected a “long war of attrition” in Syria, turned into a battleground for regional and international players.
“Iran is requested to reconsider its calculation in Syria, as well as Turkey. If no political solution is reached soon, Syria will be totally dismembered, Jumblatt said, stressing that Syrian President Bashar Assad and his Baath regime cannot be part of any settlement.
Despite his opposition to the Nusra Front’s terrorist label, the PSP leader and Hezbollah are coordinating their efforts in preparation for a possible militant assault on the areas of West Bekaa and the neighboring areas of Hasbaya, Rashaya and Arqoub in southeast Lebanon, after Jumblatt received a tip from French intelligence that Nusra was actively and successfully recruiting from the area, sources told The Daily Star.
Lebanon’s security and stability hinges on its capacity to curb the repercussions of the raging war in Syria which could last for a very long time, Jumblatt added in the interview, calling on Lebanese politicians to reinforce the country’s immunity by rallying around the state and the Lebanese Army.
“We should protect ourselves from the impacts of the Syrian war, and it is about time that we rally behind the Army. It is the duty of all politicians to support the military institution.”
Jumblatt underscored the need to buttress the Army’s arsenal and reinforce its fighting capacities, but advised against accepting Iran’s donation to the military institution.
“I am for acquiring arms from any party, and am not against the Iranian offer as such, but accepting this donation would cause problems which we can do without,” Jumblatt said, referring to international sanctions imposed on Tehran.
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