Jumblatt: Olmert's government will fall

Hizbullah's "victory" over the Jewish state will likely bring down Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's government and lead to a second round of confrontations between Israel and Hizbullah, Lebanon's Druze leader Walid Jumblatt said in a WorldNetDaily interview.

"I see investigations inside Israel about the Israeli military's terrible performance. I see Olmert failing and (former Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu coming to power. There will be a second round of confrontations with Hizbullah and with other regional elements," said Jumblatt, who is head of Lebanon's Progressive Socialist Party and is largely considered the most prominent anti-Syrian Lebanese politician.

Jumblatt said in his opinion there is "no question" Hizbullah won the month-long military conflict with Israel that started July 12 after the Lebanese militia ambushed an Israeli patrol unit, kidnapping two soldiers and killing eight others.

"Of course Hizbullah won," said Jumblatt. "We saw after 33 days in spite of the infliction of massive destruction on Lebanon, the Israelis were not able to advance a single inch in the south. Hizbullah still has its capabilities. They have their advanced weaponry and rockets."

'Hizbullah disarmament – a fantasy'

Jumblatt said there was "no chance" the Lebanese army or any international force would disarm Hizbullah or keep the militia from regrouping.

"How could the Lebanese army or some international force do what the mightiest army in the Middle East (Israel) did not do? Don't ask us to disarm by force. It is a fantasy."

"Expect new confrontations," Jumblatt said. "One round of fighting is over. Hizbullah was victorious and is waiting for another round. Hizbullah is an arm of Iran and it will be used to draw Lebanon into more conflicts."

Reprinted with permission of WorldNetDaily