BEIRUT — In a significant development for Lebanese-Syrian relations, a prominent Lebanese politician engaged in discussions with a leader of the Sunni Islamist rebels who played a crucial role in the recent removal of Syria’s President Bashar Assad. The meeting, held on Sunday, marks the first visit of a notable Lebanese figure to Syria following the end of the Assad family’s 54-year grip on power just two weeks prior.
Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, a long-time critic of Syria’s presence in Lebanon, met with Ahmad al-Sharaa, the rebel commander who led the uprising that resulted in Assad’s ousting. Jumblatt has a deeply personal history with Syria’s regime, having blamed Assad’s father for the assassination of his own father in 1977 during Syria’s military intervention in Lebanon’s civil conflict.
During their meeting, Jumblatt expressed congratulations to the Syrian people for their struggle against oppression, stating, “We salute the Syrian people for their great victories,” and conveyed optimism that the relationship between Lebanon and Syria could normalize. Al-Sharaa, now dressed in formal attire, has been engaging with regional and international diplomats as the political landscape in Syria is drastically altered post-Assad.
As discussions continued, Al-Sharaa echoed sentiments regarding the historical negative impact of the Assad government in Lebanon, asserting that Syria should no longer meddle in Lebanese affairs. He reiterated accusations that the Assad regime was complicit in the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, an event that sparked widespread criticism and calls for justice, culminating in an international tribunal that convicted members of Hezbollah—an ally of Assad.
Jumblatt articulated a desire for accountability, emphasizing that those responsible for crimes against the Lebanese and Syrian peoples should face justice through fair judicial processes.
Meanwhile, Iran’s supreme leader commented on Syria’s future, suggesting that the youth in the country would resist the newly established government, claiming that chaos was being instigated by the United States and Israel. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei remarked that young Syrians, feeling a sense of insecurity following Assad’s downfall, had “nothing to lose.” He framed the revolution’s complications as a result of external interference aiming for resource control.
Iran has been a staunch ally of Assad throughout Syria’s civil war, which ignited after his government violently suppressed protests. Khamenei denied characterizations of Iranian-supported groups as proxies, insisting they fight for their own beliefs.
In another segment of the ongoing crisis, officials affiliated with a U.N.-supported investigative team reported they are collaborating with newly established Syrian authorities to safeguard evidence from the civil war. Team leader Robert Petit shared that their recent engagements with the Syrian authorities were constructive amid widespread efforts to discover and preserve documentation of past atrocities.
Concerns remain over the potential destruction of evidence as many journalists and activists enter former detention sites and mass grave locations.
Syrians displaced by the civil war are now beginning to return home, with many encountering devastating conditions. In a scene of destruction near Damascus, Alaa Badawi searched through rubble in what used to be his community, Qaboun, trying to recognize remnants of his home. Frustrated by the lack of recognizable structures, he shared, “Which is our house? Which is our alley? There is nothing visible.”
His anguish was combined with a mix of emotions upon discovering distinctive tiles that confirmed the location of his former home amid the debris. Another returnee, Ziad Al-Hilli, who was recently released from detention after Assad fled, faced vanished memories as he searched in vain for both his house and family.
