Walid Jumblatt: Shab'a Farms Belong to Syria - Not to Lebanon

Interviewer: Why do you think that the Shab'a Farms do not belong to Lebanon?

Walid Jumblatt: The Syrian government never presented any evidence that Shab'a is Lebanese. The Shab'a is still pending. Shab'a is not Lebanese. If it is Lebanese, let the Syrian government kindly present us with supporting documents, so we can take them to Kofi Annan. If Shab'a is recognized as Lebanese, Resolution 425 will apply to it, no more and no less.

Interviewer: Are you acknowledging that Shab'a is not Lebanese, or do you believe that the Syrian government is being remiss?

Walid Jumblatt: (Syria) has admitted verbally that Shab'a is Lebanese, so we want to delineate the borders and to establish that Shab'a is Lebanese. Then things will change. However, to maintain Shab'a's status as only theoretically Lebanese, and to maintain the pretext of its liberation solely in order to grasp and hold onto Lebanon...… We've had enough. This is a kind of mind game and political game that we no longer believe.