Israel Welcomes Jumblatt 'Readiness for War'

11/02/2008 Just after the head of the Progressive Socialist Party MP Walid Jumblatt finished his press conference on Sunday, Israeli media went for analyses. They read in his speech a direct message to Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah. Jumblatt openly stated in his speech that he's ready for war. "If you think that we are going to sit with our hands tied, then perhaps we would have to burn everything. If you want war, then we welcome war. We have no problem with war. We have no problem with weapons or with rockets which we will take from you," Jumblatt threatened. How did Israel welcome the PSP leader's position? In information published about an Israeli scenario for the next war on Lebanon, it was revealed that a sudden air deathblow against Hezbollah accompanied by airdrops in regions under the control of Jumblatt, Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea and other February 14 figures.

Jumblatt had previously admonished Israel's deputy chief of staff Moshee Keplensky during a conference organized by the Washington institute for Middle East policies. Jumblatt told Keplensky that a "confessional militia has defeated you and in the end you left Hezbollah's arsenal intact to kill us with, because you did not enter south Lebanon and you did not destroy its weapons warehouses." Many Israeli sources confirmed a one-hour-meeting had taken place between Jumblatt and Keplinski under the auspices of the Institute's administration that gave both men the chance to address the annual conference for the founders of the institute.

Keplenski promised Jumblatt that Israel will thrust more ground forces in the second round of the war to destroy Hezbollah's arsenals and training centers.

For its part, the 'Omedia' news website, reported information about a secret meeting that was held between Jumblatt and Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak and another one between Jumblatt and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's representative in the presence of US Vice President Dick Cheney, adding that that both meetings were positively concluded.