April 14, 2010 - Naharnet - Jumblat Rules out Hizbullah Involvement in Hariri Murder, Says Damascus Visit in Coordination with Riyadh

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat ruled out the involvement of Hizbullah members in ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's assassination and said his visit to Damascus was made in full coordination with Saudi Arabia.
"I fully coordinated with friends in Saudi Arabia, with the king and officials following up the Lebanese issue," Jumblat told the Saudi al-Watan daily in an interview published Wednesday.He described his visit to Damascus last month as part of Arab reconciliation kick started by Saudi King Abdullah.When asked by al-Watan about an interview with former Syrian spy Zuhair Siddiq published by the Kuwaiti al-Seyassah newspaper in which he accused Hizbullah of involvement in Hariri's murder, Jumblat said: "No never." Al-Akhbar daily said Jumblat is scheduled to make a trip to Damascus next Friday, his second visit to the Syrian capital in three weeks.The newspaper said the nature of the Druze leader's visit was not clear. The MP went to Damascus on March 31 and held talks with President Bashar Assad in efforts to turn the page on past enmity with former arch-foe Syria.A Druze delegation is making preparations to travel to Syria in cooperation with Jumblat and the Syrian leadership, al-Akhbar said.Meanwhile, al-Liwaa daily said the PSP leader might not meet with Assad during his second visit to Damascus. He would hold talks with Syrian officials who had good ties with Jumblat, it said.