A prominent member of Lebanon's governing coalition on Sunday warned of anarchy and raised the spectre of war in the country. Druze leader Walid Jumblatt called on powerful opposition group Hizbullah to break its alliance with Syria.
Assassinations, the arming of militias and a continued vacuum in the presidency would "drag all to anarchy", Jumblatt said in a televized address, criticizing Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. "If you think that we will stand with our hands tied, this is pure imagination", said Jumblatt.
"You want anarchy? (We) welcome anarchy. you want war? (We) welcome war," Jumblatt said. "There is no problem with weapons ...," added Jumblatt. "War does not scare us. We have no problem with war or rockets," Jumblat said in reference to Hizullah's possession of thousands of missiles. "We will seize the rockets from you because we don't fear martyrdom," Jumblat vowed.
He also warned against "armed groups planning to carry out terrorist attacks against the army in the mountains."
According to Naharnet, Jumblat pointed out that the problem today is between the "Hizbullah militia and the government, which is the only one that can take a decision to go to war or peace." Jumblat challenged Nasrallah, telling him: "Join us if you dare (in our drive) to build a free, independent Lebanon."
Jumblatt called supporters to attend a rally on Thursday to mark the third anniversary of the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, whose killing the governing coalition blames on Syria.
