political figure

Walid Jumblatt

وليد جنبلاط

Journeys

Walid Jumblatt: Syria's Reluctant Enemy

For decades, Walid Jumblatt navigated Lebanon's impossible politics by accommodating Syrian power. After the assassination of Rafik Hariri in 2005 — which he attributed to Syria — he pivoted dramatically, becoming one of the loudest voices for Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon and later for Assad's fall. His zigzag politics made him one of the most complex figures of the Lebanon-Syria relationship.

Biography

Walid Kamal Jumblatt is a Lebanese politician who served as the leader of the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) from 1977 until 2023. A hereditary leader of the Lebanese Druze and a prominent former warlord, Jumblatt led his party's militia, the People's Liberation Army (PLA), during the Lebanese Civil War. Under his leadership, the PSP consolidated an autonomous Druze administration in the Chouf and Aley regions following victories in the 1983 Mountain War.

Documentation Status

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Journeys1

Key Facts

Born:1949-08-07

Place:Beirut, Lebanon

Nationality:Lebanese