Jumblatt: Al-Zawahiri distorts Syria’s revolt

Lebanon's Progressive Socialist Party chief Walid Jumblatt accused Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri on Tuesday of sullying the Syrian revolution’s image. “Al-Qaeda has reared its head again ... to tarnish the image of the Syrian opposition, its peaceful protests and legitimate demands for freedom and democracy, pluralism and change,” Jumblatt said in a statement. “Raising the specter of Al-Qaeda at this sensitive time for the Syrian Revolution, when the regime crackdown and its insistence on using violence as the only mean to deal with the just demands of the Syrian people ... raises more than one question,” Jumblatt added. “Beware of these [Al-Qaeda] measures and the intentions behind them,” he warned, arguing that such actions demand increased vigilance. Jumblatt, who has repeatedly called on Damascus to implement reforms and halt the bloodshed, said the Syrians had lost faith in the government and suggested a bigger observer team to be sent to monitor a cease-fire. Earlier this week, the head of the PSP chief blamed Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad for Damascus’ isolation and urged the embattled leader to abide by the Arab League Initiative.