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BEIRUT: An
argument erupted between Progressive Socialist
Party leader Walid Jumblatt and Free Patriotic
Movement leader Michel Aoun during a lunch
held by U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman at the
American Embassy in Awkar.
Speaking at the
lunch, Aoun blamed the start of Lebanon's
civil war on the presence here of Syrian
troops and armed Palestinian factions, to
which Jumblatt replied: "Internal
disagreements led to the war and I fought
against you for domestic reasons, not regional
ones."
Jumblatt
further stressed the need to bring about true
reform and to build a country free of
sectarianism.
Taking another
dig at his rival Aoun, Jumblatt stressed the
need to "stop talking about the country's
15-year civil war, turn the page and open the
page of the future."
The lunch was
attended by Democratic Renewal Movement
President and Metn MP Nassib Lahoud, former
Minister Fouad Siniora and opposition MPs
Nayla Mouawad, Marwan Hamade and Ghattas
Khoury.
The gathering
was also attended by three American
congressmen, John Sununu, Lindsey Graham and
John McCain.
Jumblatt said
any regional issue cannot be resolved before
settling the Palestinian-Israeli conflict,
highlighting the need to preserve Hizbullah's
arms in order to stand up to any potential
Israeli invasion.
Beirut MP
Ghattas Khoury said the creation of
non-sectarian political parties is the only
way to bring about the establishment of
national reform.
The U.S.
congressmen and Feltman also met Saturday with
Prime Minister Najib Mikati.
Addressing the
media after the meeting, U.S. Senator John
McCain said: "We are here to congratulate the
Lebanese people for the holding of free and
fair parliamentary elections, away from
foreign interference."
He added: "The
Americans are watching the 'Cedar Revolution'
and we assure you the United States is ready
to support the Lebanese during this
transitional period."
Meanwhile, U.S.
Senator John Sununu visited the grave of
former Premier Rafik Hariri in Beirut, while
Senator Joseph Biden met with Hariri's family
in Qoreitem to pay condolences.
The delegation
leftBeirut Airport Sunday evening on a private
jet.
Elsewhere,
Biden attended a banquet held in his honor.
Attendees included Feltman and MPs Nayla
Mouawad, Nassib Lahoud, Mosbah Ahdab, Ghattas
Khoury and Marwan Hamade.
Senator Biden,
heading a second delegation of U.S.
congressmen, met Sunday with Jumblatt and
Feltman, before touring several polling
stations in the capital to witness the first
round of elections.
Regarding his
meeting with Jumblatt, he said: "We talked
about the elections and the re-establishment
of democracy in Lebanon and Iraq."
In other
developments, former UN Secretary General
and President
of the International Francophone Committee
charged with monitoring the Lebanese elections
Butros Ghali met with Mikati, Foreign Affairs
Minister Mahmoud Hammoud, Interior Minister
Hassan Sabaa and Tourism and Information
Minister Charles Rizk.
Ghali said he
hoped that after the elections, Lebanon would
become a "stable and independent" country.
By Therese Sfeir
Daily Star staff
Monday, May 30, 2005 |
