WALID JUMBLATT More questions

Walid Jumblatt, the leader of Lebanon's Progressive Socialist Party 
says: "There are a number of questions on the authors of the attacks in 
America. Who is bin Laden who has become the number one (enemy) of western 
civilisations? He is an invention of the American secret services who chose 
to fight against the Soviets in Afghanistan with US backing." Osama bin 
Laden is an "American agent" he said.

The CIA and the Mossad (the Israeli secret service) could be behind (the 
attacks) to provoke a new war and impoverish and occupy the Middle East," 
Jumblatt said.

"It is an enormous scandal because in 1994, the CIA pointed the finger at 
bin Laden as a very dangerous man. It is also surprising that a great state 
which has a military budget of US$350 billion was not able to thwart these 
attacks.

"One should find out whether the American (secret) services are implicated 
in starting a merciless war between America and the racist West against 
Arabs and the Muslims", he said.

Jumblatt, expressed concern that the "war against terrorism" could develop 
into a "huge massacre of Palestinians."

Jumblatt, who was presiding over a ceremony in Lebanon called on the 
audience to observe one minute of silence in memory of the "innocent 
(people) killed in the World Trade Centre and in memory of the Arabs killed 
in Palestine, in south Lebanon, in Syria, Jordan and Iraq in the war 
against Israel."