AFP – 13 hrs ago

Lebanon's Druze chief Walid Jumblatt openly sided with the anti-regime camp in Syria on Friday as he marked the 35th anniversary of his father's assassination, which he has blamed on Damascus.

"After 35 years, this is the day to tell the truth, to myself and to others ... Long live free Syria!" he said after spreading a "Syrian revolution" flag over the grave of his father, Kamal Jumblatt.

He also hailed the "marytrs of the Syrian revolution" in a speech before dignitaries at Baaklin, in the Shouf mountains southeast of Beirut, after the memorial at the cemetery in nearby Mukhtara.

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The Druze leader, who took over after his father was shot dead on March 16, 1977, after Syria's military intervention during Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war, was for many years in the pro-Syrian camp of Lebanese politics.

More: http://news.yahoo.com/lebanon-druze-head-throws-lot-syria-rebels-172910762.html