BREAKING NEWS

Lebanon's Jumblatt says naming Hariri would be catastrophic

Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt on Thursday said he is under great pressure not to name caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri as the government's next premier despite earlier statements of support for him, Lebanese paper an-Nahar reported.
He told members of his party that insisting on Hariri as the country's new prime minister would lead to "catastrophic consequences" for the security of the Druze party, himself, and the Druze population in Hizbullah-controlled areas. He added that things "have become greater than him and his ability to maintain the middle ground in a harsh battle in which Hariri's regional and international backers only resort to statements, while his opponents (Hizbullah) turn to all manners of military and popular pressure," according to the report.
Jumblatt said that he is under pressure to name former Lebanese prime minister Omar Karami in place of Hariri.