Jumblatt, Walid (1949– )

Lebanese Druze Muslim politician, leader of the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP). His charismatic father, Kamal, was founder of the PSP in 1949, but was assassinated in 1977. He has played an important role in Lebanese politics, making strategic alliances with Syria and with the moderate Shia Amal militia of Nabih Berri in defence of the semi-autonomous Druze enclave against encroaching Maronite Christian forces. Initially a supporter of the Syrian military presence in Lebanon after the 1975–90 civil war, since 2000 he has campaigned for the end of Syrian military domination.

In 1983, following the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Shuf (Chouf), east of Beirut, Jumblatt organized an onslaught of Druze militia against Maronite Christian militias in the Shuf. This was successful and was followed, in 1984–85, by further expansion of the enclave southwards and westwards. In 1984 and 1989 Jumblatt served as a minister in broad-based Lebanese governments, but in 1987 the Druze militia were involved in fierce clashes with Amal.

He was born into a family thathas been the traditional head of the Druze community, a Muslim sect dating back to the Middle Ages and based in the Shuf mountains. He studied in universities in Beirut and France. He broke Druze traditional by marrying a non-Druze Jordanian. With his liking for motorbikes and leather jackets, he is an unconventional figure and, politically, he has been unpredictable in his alliances.