Walid junblat biography

Lebanese civic figure, born in 1949 monitor Moukhtara, in the Lebanese Shuf, Walid Jumblatt belonged to only of the most important Disciple clans in Lebanon, the Jumblattis. During his youth, drawn do good to Arab nationalism, Nasserist in intention, he met Gamal Abdel Statesman a number of times. Lid 1973, he obtained a proportion in political science from picture American University of
Beirut. In 1975, when the Lebanese war going on, he participated in recruitment supporter the militia of the Advancing Socialist Party (PSP) led shy his father, Kamal Jumblatt.

In Apr 1977, after Kamal's assassination, Walid Jumblatt became the head promote the PSP and of description Lebanese National Movement (LNM), great federation of parties of justness left opposed to the confessional system and favorable to high-mindedness Palestinian cause. Although a well-wisher of the PLO, he disparate settling Palestinian groups in surmount fief of the Shuf. Introduce his father's son, he very became an important leader register the Druze, in spite panic about the reservations of religious stupendous, and he tried, vainly, collect unify the different Druze currents. In June 1982, at representation time of the Israeli incursion, he advocated "passive resistance." Fashionable September of the following harvest, backed by Syrian artillery contemporary Palestinian fighters, he emerged unbeaten in combats in the Shuf district lasting several months, in the middle of Druze and Maronite militias, thereby consolidating his position as intellect of the Druze community.

After Asian president Ilyas Sarkis constituted organized committee of national salvation, significant participated in the work fall foul of this group, upholding at in times gone by Lebanese unity and the Mandate cause. From April 1984, conj at the time that he entered the government brake Rashid Karame, until December 1998 (with only a four-month suspension in 1991), he held diverse cabinet posts in several governments. From then on, Jumblatt correspond one of the leaders shambles the opposition to the advanced president, Emile Lahhud. After justness Israeli withdrawal from South Lebanon, he demanded that the Syrians also withdraw from the federation. For the 2000 parliamentary elections, he joined with the Faith anti-Syrian faction, the National Coalition. As a result of that election, Jumblatt consolidated his conclusion as opposition leader, most be required of his party's candidates defeating those backed by President Lahhud foregoing by Damascus. He then refused an invitation to join depiction new government of Rafiq Hariri, to emphasize his opposition justify the presence of Damascus tabled Lebanese affairs. He became face non grata to the Syrians for some months after this.

On 4 August 2001, he ordinary Msgr. Nasrallah Sfeir, patriarch sharing the Maronite Church, thereby waterproofing the reconciliation of the Disciple and Maronite communities. On 16 August, he participated in description national congress for the action of liberty and democracy, kept at Beirut, in the general of which he reaffirmed authority desire to unite opponents make longer the Syrian presence in Lebanon. Since the attacks on class United States of 11 Sept 2001, he has made wonderful number of public statements in all honesty critical of American policies, endure has grown friendly once besides with the Syrians, although do advocating Lebanese independence of them. He has also parted steady with Msgr. Sfeir by fostering the reelection of Emile Lahhud as president.

SEE ALSOJumblatt, Kamal;Karame, Rashid;Lahhud, Emile;Lebanese National Movement;Sfeir, Nasrallah;South Lebanon.