Prominent Lebanese figure visits Syria, hoping for a post-Assad reset in troubled relations

A prominent Lebanese politician has met with the insurgent who led the overthrow of Syria’s President Bashar Assad and both expressing hope for a new era in relations between their countries. Druze leader Walid Jumblatt was a longtime critic of Syria’s involvement in Lebanon and blamed Assad’s father, former President Hafez Assad, for the assassination of his own father decades ago. He is the most prominent Lebanese politician to visit Syria since the Assad family’s 54-year rule came to an end. He held talks on Sunday with Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, who led the Sunni Islamist rebels who swept into Damascus earlier this month.