Wikileaks: Jumblat Supported Israeli Invasion of Southern Lebanon during July War

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat and MP Marwan Hamadeh both supported an Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon during the July 2006 war, said a leaked U.S. Embassy cable published exclusively in Al-Akhbar on Thursday.

The Wikileaks cable spoke of a late night meeting between U.N. special envoy Terje Roed-Larsen, Jumblat, and Hamadeh during which the former suggested handing over the two Israeli soldiers kidnapped by Hizbullah to the Lebanese state.

The step would then be followed by a ceasefire, the creation of a buffer zone in southern Lebanon under the control of the Lebanese army, and the release of a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding the implementation of resolution 1559.

Jumblat and Hamadeh supported Larsen’s proposal, voicing a hope that Israel would continue its military operations in Lebanon until Hizbullah’s military infrastructure in Lebanon would be greatly damaged, even if it meant invading southern Lebanon.

Jumblat stated that he is obligated to openly demand a ceasefire, but he believed that the continuation of the hostilities is an opportunity to defeat Hizbullah.

He said: “If a ceasefire were to be implemented right now, then Hizbullah would be victorious. Israel should invade the South and it should avoid massacres, but it must remove Hizbullah from southern Lebanon.”

The MP also stressed the importance of Israel not attacking Syria because that will return it to the Arab fold without harming the Syrian regime.

“You weaken Syria by weakening Hizbullah. Don’t turn Syria into a hero in the Arab world,” Jumblat continued.

The Druze leader voiced his opinions over a glass of red wine, three large beer bottles, and a large vodka bottle, whose brand was the center of a long argument between him and the “astounded” room service waiter, said the cable.