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Druze leader Walid Jumblatt reconciles with Syria Walid Jumblatt has been a stern critic of Syria The leader of Lebanon's Druze community, Walid Jumblatt, has met with Syria's president - signalling a thaw in relations between former foes. In the past, Mr Jumblatt has accused Damascus of assassinating his father, and said President Bashar al-Assad was a "savage, a liar and a criminal". The meeting was welcomed by the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which has close ties to Syria. Mr Jumblatt has said his criticism of Mr Assad was "inappropriate". 'New page' Mr Jumblatt was a former ally of Syria, but fell out with them after Damascus was linked to the 2005 murder of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri. In 2008 Syrian-backed Hezbollah fought Mr Jumblatt's Druze militias in a conflict that brought Lebanon to the brink of civil war. Last month Mr Jumblatt told Al-Jazeera he wanted to "open a new page" in relations with...

Druze leader Walid Jumblatt reconciles with Syria Walid Jumblatt has been a stern critic of Syria The leader of Lebanon's Druze community, Walid Jumblatt, has met with Syria's president - signalling a thaw in relations between former foes. In the past, Mr Jumblatt has accused Damascus of assassinating his father, and said President Bashar al-Assad was a "savage, a liar and a criminal". The meeting was welcomed by the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which has close ties to Syria. Mr Jumblatt has said his criticism of Mr Assad was "inappropriate". 'New page' Mr Jumblatt was a former ally of Syria, but fell out with them after Damascus was linked to the 2005 murder of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri. In 2008 Syrian-backed Hezbollah fought Mr Jumblatt's Druze militias in a conflict that brought Lebanon to the brink of civil war. Last month Mr Jumblatt told Al-Jazeera he wanted to "open a new page" in relations with...