Haytham Manna Visits Nasrallah, A Secret Dinner Paves Jumblatt’s Way to Haret Hreik

Sami Kleib - al-Akhbar newspaper*

Just a few days ago, the secret dinner took place.

Head of the Loyalty to the Resistance parliamentary bloc, MP Mohammad Raad, met with Head of the National Struggle Front, MP Walid Jumblatt, at the residence of Riad al-Assaad. Jumblatt visited Prince Talal Arslan, accompanied by defected Syrian General Faraj al-Maqat and Syrian Druze Prince Chebli al-Atrash, to skim through the future of the Druze community in Syria and Lebanon amid the threats of minorities by Takfiris.

Such meetings have now become reasonable, and so have the fresh statements uttered by Jumblatt during an interview with LBC when he called to forget about the weapons of Hizbullah, attacked Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi and Takfiris, and urged for Geneva II.

For his part, Raad lobbed fierce harangue on his rivals in Lebanon, threatening of moving from defense to attack. And words do say a lot nowadays!

According to available information, Jumblatt was about to stiffen its attack, but the many wishes and pressures led him to renege on its escalation.
This might be true. But what he said was enough for one March 8 official to conclude, "Jumblatt is now 100% with us."

This comment might be overstated though! In fact, a complete partiality requires a clear-cut modification of stance towards the Syrian regime. This has not happened yet. But it may happen. Nothing in the region is impossible actually. What matters now is that the way has become paved to a likely meeting between Jumblatt and Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. This very way was paved before when the Syrian oppositionist National Coordination Committee for Democratic Change leader, Haytham Manna, visited Hizbullah's Secretary General.

Nothing is absolutely surprising. The entire political climate in the region is now in the beginning of major changes. Iran is the base. Do not look elsewhere. The central decision in Tehran and Washington is to lead the nuclear talks to success.
Ever since the former US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, Jeffrey Feltman, sat, ever docile, before Wali al-Faqih Sayyed Ali Khamenei, Jumblatt, and others, sounded the alarm. It is said that he had sent a sardonic message to Feltman. Perhaps. But the most important is that the scene was clear. The Americans figured out that Tehran was walking two lines: the first being that it is as robust as rock in its adamant support for Syria, Nouri al-Maliki's government in Iraq, Hizbullah and the Resistance; the second being "as resilient as a warrior" with the West, according to Sayyed Khamenei.

Lifting sanctions of Iran is necessary yet not as important as the concessions the Islamic Republic may make. The red line is crystal clear. Therefore, Iran's foes are intimated. "Israel" is devastated, albeit some read this as a desire to receive a big prize in Palestine. Poor Palestine! Some states of the Gulf, on top of which Saudi Arabia, perceives a stalking danger. In Riyadh, it is not just concerns that you hear being uttered, but also harsh rhetoric against Iran, Hizbullah, and the entire [Shia] community. It now makes sense then when the US Secretary of State, John Kerry, attacked Hizbullah from the center of Riyadh. It is okay if he reiterates calls for the stepping down of Bashar Assad. It's only words.

Jumblatt caught the signs. And so did Qatar. Assad has explained to a number of his itinerant visitors the changes of the world and the Arabs towards Syria, just recently. Yes, Doha did send signals and suggested initiatives. Yes, most of Europe's countries, including France-currently struggling to support "Israel" against any agreement with Iran-did open lines with Damascus under the pretense of fighting terrorism.

Yes, the Americans are pressuring the Syrian Coalition to go to Geneva. The Coalition is to go sooner or later since the final decision is made by both America and Russia. Yes, Takfiri groups that were heading to Syria did get arrested in Syria's neighborhood, namely Turkey. Yes, there are lists of terrorist people and groups that were handed to the West. Yes, there are bids to humiliate Syrian opposionists in neighboring countries and in the West.

The historical problem is that during the making of settlements, the pockets of fire inflame. Otherwise, how to explain the fierce battles between Houthis and Salafists? How to explain the Yemeni Gathering for the Islamic Reform washing its hands clean of the Muslim Brotherhood? How to explain the huge disagreement between the top magnate of Hashed tribe, the symbol of the Muslim Brotherhood, Sheikh Hamid al-Ahmar, with Saudi Arabia, despite the excellent relation between his late father Sheikh Abdullah and the Saudi throne? Is there any implication of a Qatari-Saudi resentment? Maybe. Or maybe, one is to account the entire opening of pan-Arab al-Hayat newspaper of KSA, completely devoted against al-Jazeera channel and filled with criticism against the new Qatari prince.

Moreover, a tape showing Ayman al-Zawahiri and broadcast by al-Jazeera is to be considered, since it had fueled fights between Takfiris and Syria's Takfiri groups. Is it against the fans of Saudi Arabia? Or a price to pay for Qatar to change towards Syria?

Furthermore, how to explain the free battle between Bab el-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen and the rhetoric of threats Refaat Eid has just started to use? Did he become stronger after the Syrian army and its allies advanced in strategic areas? What would possibly preclude Syrian military violations of the borders with the North to go after Takfiris or to back up Eid and his community? The current Syrian military decision is as follows: to go after whoever sheds the Syrian blood, wherever they are.

Do not be surprised. In a time of settlements and deals, everything is possible. Alas, small countries are groups are nothing but trivial products. Today, fighting terrorism and reaching a settlement with Iran are priority.

*Translated by website team