by Joseph A. Kechichian, Senior Writer

Beirut: Syrian President Bashar Al Assad has lashed out at Lebanon
over its disassociation policy approved in 2012, which ensured that
Lebanon’s political factions did not take sides in Syria’s civil war. The
policy miraculously managed to save Lebanon from being dragged into the
brutal war next door, despite the fact that Hezbollah ignored the
policy as it openly fought alongside Al Assad forces in Syria.

In
an interview with the Damascus daily Al Watan, the Syrian president
said, “Lebanon cannot be dissociated from the fires flaring up [in the
region] and [cannot] adopt the policy of no politics or what is called
the disassociation policy.” Observers believe it was a direct
warning to recently elected president Michel Aoun not to forget that he
has to answer to Damascus. “As long as the [president] is a
patriot and works in favour of the Lebanese, Lebanon will become
stronger. And when Lebanon is strong, Syria will be at ease and
stronger,” Al Assad said. Aoun reconciled with pro-Syrian parties in Lebanon too, especially Hezbollah, which chose to fight alongside the Ba’ath regime.

It
remains unclear whether Aoun will now abolish or alter the 2012 “Baabda
Declaration” that was approved by rival March 8 and March 14 leaders —
including Hezbollah — to “keep Lebanon away from the policy of regional
and international conflicts and sparing it the negative repercussions of
regional tensions and crises”.

On Wednesday, Aoun received the
pro-regime Syrian Grand Mufti Ahmad Badr Al Deen Hassoun, accompanied by
Syria’s Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdul Karim, which raised the ire of a
leading pro-opposition journalist, Carol Maalouf. Maalouf
attacked the head-of-state and Cardinal Mar Bisharah Butros Al Ra‘i (who
also welcomed the Mufti) on her Facebook page that mobilised supporters
and opponents alike.

The exchanges were unusually harsh, which
reflected existing divisions in the country, now further polarised by Al
Assad’s latest comments.

Meanwhile, Druze leader Walid Junblatt accused the Syrian regime over a plot to assassinate him.

He told the pro-Hezbollah daily Al Safir on Thursday that Damascus stood to benefit the most if he was assassinated.

Junblatt
admitted to spending most of his time secluded in the Druze stronghold
of Al Mukhtarah, staying away from his Beirut residence.

The Druze
leader admitted that Al Assad has “triumphed in Aleppo after taking
advantage of the international community’s abandonment of the Syrian
people”.

Al Assad, Jumblatt opined, will next “destroy Idlib,
which means that his influence on Lebanon will grow and the
Iranian-Syrian grip on the country will intensify”.