A U.S. State Department spokesman has snapped back at Druze leader Walid Jumblat over remarks voiced in his latest interview.
“In keeping with his long record, Walid Jumblat will do and say whatever is best for Walid Jumblat, with little regard for principle, his own constituency, or the future of his country,” the spokesman said.
“Hezbollah and their friends thought the so-called Islamabad track could serve as license for Hezbollah to retain its arsenal while Israel withdraws again. That was never a realistic option,” the spokesman stressed.
He added that the U.S.-backed Trilateral Framework is an agreement between two sovereign states, with “a clear, reciprocal, sequenced process.”
“Israel has already agreed to withdraw, contingent on Hezbollah disarmament and the LAF (Lebanese Army) moving into pilot zones,” the spokesman went on to say, warning that “relying on Iran to disarm Hezbollah is a mechanism for preserving Tehran's veto over Lebanese sovereignty.”
“Hezbollah has dragged Lebanon into two suicidal wars on behalf of Iran. In the end, until they are disarmed, Hezbollah will do whatever their puppet-masters in Tehran tell them to do and the people of Lebanon will be forced to pay the price,” the U.S. spokesman added.
He concluded: “As (U.S.) Ambassador (to Lebanon Michel) Issa has said, the United States is prepared to engage Hezbollah only through the Lebanese state, and only on the topic of disarmament.”
In the interview broadcast on Sunday, Jumblat warned that Israel has expansionist goals and said Lebanon should have endorsed the American-Iranian Islamabad track instead of choosing direct negotiations with Israel, which he believes will be fruitless and "lead to nowhere."
He said Lebanon's government has mistakenly thought that the Americans could pressure the Israelis to withdraw from south Lebanon. "The Israelis are trying to eradicate all the memories of south Lebanon. They might be preparing for settlements," he warned.
The Druze leader said the U.S. can help Lebanon by sending "better diplomats" and changing its policy, and said Lebanon should hold talks with Iran as well because Hezbollah's decisions are taken in Tehran.