| Walid Jumblatt  Born: 7-Aug-1949
Birthplace: Beirut, Lebanon
Gender: Male
Race or Ethnicity: Middle Eastern
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Politician Nationality: Lebanon
Executive summary: Lebanese Progressive Socialist Party Druze Lebanese leader, son and successor of Kamal Jumblatt who was assassinated in 1977. The Druze are a group of non-Arab Muslims whose origins date back to the 10th century, which many other Muslim sects consider heretical. They comprise about 10% of the Lebanese population. At that time of his accession Walid had somewhat a reputation as an playboy (even marrying a non-Druze), and it was a surprise that he became leader of the Druze. In 1983 Jumblatt's forces opportunistically massacred several thousand Christian Maronite civilians in the chaos following an Israeli withdrawal, perhaps in revenge for Maronite forces that had been acting as proxies for Israel. Walid's general goals include keeping the Syrians, Israelis, and Palestinians out of Lebanon, though of particular importance is the Syrians -- who during the 1980s he was ostensibly allied with -- as being the most likely assassins of both his father and of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. After the latter's assassination in 2005 Jumblatt has professed fear of his own. Jumblatt resides in Moukhtara, forty miles southeast of Beirut.
Father: Kamal Jumblatt (politician, b. 6-Dec-1917, d. 16-Mar-1977 assassination)
University: American University of Beirut
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