Anti-Syrian Lebanese leader visits Egypt

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
An anti-Syria Lebanese leader said Monday that Syria's official recognition of Lebanon alone was not enough for stability between the two neighbors, and urged that an international probe into the slaying of a former Lebanese prime minister be completed. The head of Lebanon's Progressive Socialist Party, Walid Jumblatt, said on a visit to Egypt that it was also time Syria took concrete steps to demarcate its border with Lebanon, as agreed on in August. The landmark agreement came during a visit by Lebanon's president to Damascus and marked the final break in Syria's longtime dominance over its smaller neighbor. That development culminated with the official recognition and establishment of diplomatic ties between the two neighbors on Oct. 15. Speaking to reporters in Cairo after a meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Jumblatt said the completion of an international investigation into the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and trying those responsible will "bring both justice and stability" to Lebanon.