Walid Jumblatt with his favourite dog Oscar, which died earlier this year. Jumblatt, one of the most iconic figures in Lebanon's turbulent history, is at the centre of a political crisis pitting him against the far more powerful Hezbollah and which could determine his fate. The National
Walid Jumblatt with his favourite dog Oscar, which died earlier this year. Jumblatt, one of the most iconic figures in Lebanon's turbulent history, is at the centre of a political crisis pitting him against the far more powerful Hezbollah and which could determine his fate. The National
Walid Jumblatt with his favourite dog Oscar, which died earlier this year. Jumblatt, one of the most iconic figures in Lebanon's turbulent history, is at the centre of a political crisis pitting him against the far more powerful Hezbollah and which could determine his fate. The National
Walid Jumblatt with his favourite dog Oscar, which died earlier this year. Jumblatt, one of the most iconic figures in Lebanon's turbulent history, is at the centre of a political crisis pitting him a

Syrian regime allies sharpen their knives for Druze leader Walid Joumblatt


Khaled Yacoub Oweis
  • English
  • Arabic

When Syrian dictator Hafez Al Assad died in 2000, the who’s who of Lebanon’s political class bowed one by one in front of his coffin in Damascus – all except Druze leader Walid Joumblatt, who walked briskly past.

Almost two decades later the Syrian regime, now led by Hafez's son Bashar and supported by Iran and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, is still trying to bow Mr Joumblatt’s head.

A member of a Druze dynasty, he is regarded as one of the shrewdest and most educated political figures in the Middle East.

The latest political crisis in Lebanon has Mr Joumblatt, 69, front and centre.

It had been brewing for months but erupted at the end of June after a shooting in the Druze mountain heartland near Beirut. Two bodyguards of a minor Lebanese minister, who is also Druze but supported by the Syrian regime, were killed.

The Lebanese Cabinet has not agreed to meet since the incident, which is being manipulated by pro-Hezbollah factions and exaggerated as an attempt to finish Mr Joumblatt off, his supporters say. In Lebanon, this does not just mean politically.

The leader of the Druze minority has accumulated a list of enemies, all allied with the Syrian regime.

They might be sensing in Hezbollah’s ascendancy the perfect chance to bring about Mr Joumblatt's downfall and tilt Lebanon's balance of power further towards Iran and the Syrian regime.

Mr Joumblatt was one of the first major figures to demand the withdrawal of Syrian forces from Lebanon.

He led the protest movement known as the Cedar Revolution, which helped to expel the Syrian regime forces in 2006 after a three-decade presence.

The Damascus regime later restored its influence in Beirut through Hezbollah and other proxies.

Mr Joumblatt has been a thorn in Hezbollah’s side, disputing that it needs to remain armed despite Israel's withdrawal from south Lebanon in 2000, although he has had periods of accommodation with the group.

He supported the uprising in Syria in 2011 because it appeared to be capable of bringing down a regime he regarded as detrimental to Lebanon.

A proponent of non-violent political discourse since the end of Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war, he has consistently stood up against increasingly racist language directed at Syrian refugees, most notably from Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, an ally of Hezbollah.

We are not bandits but it seems some do not understand.

Mr Joumblatt's rivals carry personal and political envy against one of the few figures in the country who has maintained a status consistent with being from political nobility.

Veteran Lebanese analyst Rashid Hasan notes the son of the late statesman Kamal Joumblatt has a sharp political radar and the ability to switch alliances to preserve the Druze community.

At least two Syrian intelligence agents have been nominally wanted by Lebanon’s toothless justice system for decades for the 1977 assassination of Kamal Joumblatt.

He was a monumental figure who championed the Palestinian cause and had no regard for Hafez Al Assad, who had built up proxies to undermine Yasser Arafat, chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation.

Kamal Joumblatt in Paris, 05 October 1976. The elder Joumblatt was assassinated less than a year later in the Chouf Mountains in Lebanon. AFP
Kamal Joumblatt in Paris, 05 October 1976. The elder Joumblatt was assassinated less than a year later in the Chouf Mountains in Lebanon. AFP

For many Druze, a political demise of Mr Joumblatt would mean that their community, one of Lebanon's smallest, could no longer punch above its weight, and endanger the delicate arrangements that ended the civil war.

At stake is the fate of fading resistance to the dominance of the Iranian and Syrian regime proxies in Lebanon.

In May, Mr Joumblatt broke a political taboo by challenging one of Hezbollah’s main justifications for keeping its weapons.

He said the Shebaa Farms, disputed territory occupied by Israel, was Syrian not Lebanese as Hezbollah claims.

This contributed to Hezbollah’s allies sharpening their knives.

Mr Joumblatt's challenge, with support from Sunni leaders, against the legality of Hezbollah’s private telecoms network in 2008, and other manifestations of the group’s status, prompted a partial takeover of Beirut by the militias.

The group was preparing to attack the Druze heartland before a deal averted a possible return to civil war.

At the time, Hezbollah TV station Al Manar was issuing threats of outright annihilation against “the enemies of the resistance”.

This time, its language is more subdued but the group and its allies control most of the "sovereign" state organisations. Crucially, they have the Justice Ministry in their hands.

A confidant said Mr Joumblatt believed the crisis was being inflamed by the Syrian regime, which he blamed for the failure of his attempt to calm tension by handing over two Druze suspects involved in the recent killing.

Hezbollah’s allies want the case to go to a special judicial council where they would dictate the proceedings, leading to the possibility of a show trial.

Attempts to paint the shooting as an assassination attempt are a “childish jumping to conclusions”, Mr Joumblatt said.

“I repeat that we are not bandits but it seems some do not understand,” he wrote on Facebook.

Mr Joumblatt harks from a period in Lebanon when rivals had grudging respect for each other, some even during the civil war.

Lebanon is no longer the primary regional chessboard for “each outside power to checkmate the other”, in the words of one Lebanese banker.

But the Assad regime could be intent on pursuing Mr Joumblatt to the end, deepening the political crisis and bringing more violence.

Mr Joumblatt has indicated through his latest responses that he will only go out fighting.

He is no stranger to operating in extreme survival mode.

In 2000, he supported demands led by the Maronite clergy by calling for the withdrawal of Mr Al Assad’s forces from Lebanon.

Assem Qanso, an Assad ally in the Lebanese Parliament at that time, said that the “rifles of the residence” would reach Mr Joumblatt, who he described as an enemy agent.

Afterwards, Mr Joumblatt remained mostly at his ancestral palace in the town of Al Moukhtara, in the Chouf mountains.

Leaning against the wall behind the desk in his study were two AK-47s. A cocked pistol lay on the desk, pointing to the door and ready to fire at any intruder.

Continental champions

Best Asian Player: Massaki Todokoro (Japan)

Best European Player: Adam Wardzinski (Poland)

Best North & Central American Player: DJ Jackson (United States)

Best African Player: Walter Dos Santos (Angola)

Best Oceanian Player: Lee Ting (Australia)

Best South American Player: Gabriel De Sousa (Brazil)

Best Asian Federation: Saudi Jiu-Jitsu Federation

If you go

The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Luang Prabang via Bangkok, with a return flight from Chiang Rai via Bangkok for about Dh3,000, including taxes. Emirates and Thai Airways cover the same route, also via Bangkok in both directions, from about Dh2,700.
The cruise
The Gypsy by Mekong Kingdoms has two cruising options: a three-night, four-day trip upstream cruise or a two-night, three-day downstream journey, from US$5,940 (Dh21,814), including meals, selected drinks, excursions and transfers.
The hotels
Accommodation is available in Luang Prabang at the Avani, from $290 (Dh1,065) per night, and at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort from $1,080 (Dh3,967) per night, including meals, an activity and transfers.

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The details

Heard It in a Past Life

Maggie Rogers

(Capital Records)

3/5

Who are the Sacklers?

The Sackler family is a transatlantic dynasty that owns Purdue Pharma, which manufactures and markets OxyContin, one of the drugs at the centre of America's opioids crisis. The family is well known for their generous philanthropy towards the world's top cultural institutions, including Guggenheim Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, Tate in Britain, Yale University and the Serpentine Gallery, to name a few. Two branches of the family control Purdue Pharma.

Isaac Sackler and Sophie Greenberg were Jewish immigrants who arrived in New York before the First World War. They had three sons. The first, Arthur, died before OxyContin was invented. The second, Mortimer, who died aged 93 in 2010, was a former chief executive of Purdue Pharma. The third, Raymond, died aged 97 in 2017 and was also a former chief executive of Purdue Pharma. 

It was Arthur, a psychiatrist and pharmaceutical marketeer, who started the family business dynasty. He and his brothers bought a small company called Purdue Frederick; among their first products were laxatives and prescription earwax remover.

Arthur's branch of the family has not been involved in Purdue for many years and his daughter, Elizabeth, has spoken out against it, saying the company's role in America's drugs crisis is "morally abhorrent".

The lawsuits that were brought by the attorneys general of New York and Massachussetts named eight Sacklers. This includes Kathe, Mortimer, Richard, Jonathan and Ilene Sackler Lefcourt, who are all the children of either Mortimer or Raymond. Then there's Theresa Sackler, who is Mortimer senior's widow; Beverly, Raymond's widow; and David Sackler, Raymond's grandson.

Members of the Sackler family are rarely seen in public.

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

If you go...

Etihad Airways flies from Abu Dhabi to Kuala Lumpur, from about Dh3,600. Air Asia currently flies from Kuala Lumpur to Terengganu, with Berjaya Hotels & Resorts planning to launch direct chartered flights to Redang Island in the near future. Rooms at The Taaras Beach and Spa Resort start from 680RM (Dh597).

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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Founders: Michele Ferrario, Nino Ulsamer and Freddy Lim
Started: established in 2016 and launched in July 2017
Based: Singapore, with offices in the UAE, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand
Sector: FinTech, wealth management
Initial investment: $500,000 in seed round 1 in 2016; $2.2m in seed round 2 in 2017; $5m in series A round in 2018; $12m in series B round in 2019; $16m in series C round in 2020 and $25m in series D round in 2021
Current staff: more than 160 employees
Stage: series D 
Investors: EightRoads Ventures, Square Peg Capital, Sequoia Capital India

Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

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INFO

Schools can register for the Abu Dhabi Schools Championships at www.champions.adsc.ae

The specs

Engine: 2x201bhp AC Permanent-magnetic electric

Transmission: n/a

Power: 402bhp

Torque: 659Nm

Price estimate: Dh200,000

On sale: Q3 2022 

Milestones on the road to union

1970

October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar. 

December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.

1971

March 1:  Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.

July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.

July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.

August 6:  The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.

August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.

September 3: Qatar becomes independent.

November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.

November 29:  At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.

November 30: Despite  a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa. 

November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties

December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.

December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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ASHES FIXTURES

1st Test: Brisbane, Nov 23-27 
2nd Test: Adelaide, Dec 2-6
3rd Test: Perth, Dec 14-18
4th Test: Melbourne, Dec 26-30
5th Test: Sydney, Jan 4-8

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING

Director: Christopher McQuarrie

Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg

Rating: 4/5

The specs

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Transmission: seven-speed auto

Power: 420 bhp

Torque: 624Nm

Price: from Dh293,200

On sale: now

FINAL RESULT

Sharjah Wanderers 20 Dubai Tigers 25 (After extra-time)

Wanderers
Tries: Gormley, Penalty
cons: Flaherty
Pens: Flaherty 2

Tigers
Tries: O’Donnell, Gibbons, Kelly
Cons: Caldwell 2
Pens: Caldwell, Cross

Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

Du Football Champions

The fourth season of du Football Champions was launched at Gitex on Wednesday alongside the Middle East’s first sports-tech scouting platform.“du Talents”, which enables aspiring footballers to upload their profiles and highlights reels and communicate directly with coaches, is designed to extend the reach of the programme, which has already attracted more than 21,500 players in its first three years.

The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now

Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

Available: Now

MATCH INFO

West Ham United 2 (Antonio 73', Ogbonna 90 5')

Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 36', Moura 42', Kane 49')

SCORES

Yorkshire Vikings 144-1 in 12.5 overs
(Tom Kohler 72 not out, Harry Broook 42 not out)
bt Hobart Hurricanes 140-7 in 20 overs
(Caleb Jewell 38, Sean Willis 35, Karl Carver 2-29, Josh Shaw 2-39)

MATCH INFO

Barcelona 5 (Lenglet 2', Vidal 29', Messi 34', 75', Suarez 77')

Valladolid 1 (Kiko 15')

PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES

All times UAE ( 4 GMT)

Saturday
West Ham United v Tottenham Hotspur (3.30pm)
Burnley v Huddersfield Town (7pm)
Everton v Bournemouth (7pm)
Manchester City v Crystal Palace (7pm)
Southampton v Manchester United (7pm)
Stoke City v Chelsea (7pm)
Swansea City v Watford (7pm)
Leicester City v Liverpool (8.30pm)

Sunday
Brighton and Hove Albion v Newcastle United (7pm)

Monday
Arsenal v West Bromwich Albion (11pm)

The UAE squad for the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games

The jiu-jitsu men’s team: Faisal Al Ketbi, Zayed Al Kaabi, Yahia Al Hammadi, Taleb Al Kirbi, Obaid Al Nuaimi, Omar Al Fadhli, Zayed Al Mansoori, Saeed Al Mazroui, Ibrahim Al Hosani, Mohammed Al Qubaisi, Salem Al Suwaidi, Khalfan Belhol, Saood Al Hammadi.

Women’s team: Mouza Al Shamsi, Wadeema Al Yafei, Reem Al Hashmi, Mahra Al Hanaei, Bashayer Al Matrooshi, Hessa Thani, Salwa Al Ali.