According to Lebanese newspaper The Daily Star, a senior political source close to the March 8 alliance said Jumblatt’s message, which Druze former Minister Talal Arslan conveyed to Assad, was twofold.
Jumblatt called for re-evaluating ties between the PSP and the Syrian administration and appealed to Assad to re-enroll in the Syrian Army two Druze officers who had defected earlier, according to the paper.
“Let’s say that Jumblatt received a half positive answer,” the source noted, adding that while Assad “thought it was too early to carry out re-evaluations,” he promised to accept the two defectors back in the military.
One of the prominent figures of Lebanon’s Druze community, Arslan has maintained warm ties with Assad and paid regular visits to Damascus since the start of the turmoil there.
The conciliatory mood that took over the region following the historic September phone call between U.S. President Barack Obama and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani, as well as the advances on the ground of the Assad forces, has led several regional powers including Turkey and Qatar to gradually revisit stances regarding the Syrian unrest.
Known for his sharp flair for detecting regional political fluctuations, Jumblatt’s letter to Assad could be another one of his strategic shifts to ensure his own interests and those of the Druze community are safeguarded.
When the conflict in Syria erupted some two-and-a half years ago, Jumblatt was quick in voicing his unequivocal support for the insurgency.
Though Syria’s Druzes largely stayed out of the events, Jumblatt sometimes incited his coreligionists to join the war.
Following the death of his long-term patron Syrian President Hafez Assad in 2000, Jumblatt spearheaded the anti-Syrian movement in Lebanon.
In March 2010 Jumblatt paid a visit to Bashar Assad after he apologized for insults voiced against the Syrian leadership.
Jumblatt appears ready to do it again and will make use of his notorious ability to change stances and allegiances in light of the regional developments, the political source said.
SHI/SHI