That was something. A romantic lunch at Al-Mukhtarah Palace--renovated and expanded with arms' sales money, before Jumblat discovered the "progressive socialism" of Rafiq Hariri. Elliott Abrams having lunch with Walid Jumblat. It is notable not only because Walid Jumblat used to spend silly hours on his silly elaborations about the neo-cons and their ostensible global power, and their foreign policy designs for the Middle East, and more. And Jumblat is seen, in the hummus context of Lebanon, as an "intellectual" because he may read a book a year as opposed to no-book-in-a-lifetime by other Lebanese politicians. Jumblat's analysis of US foreign policy were never insightful and never informed, but in Lebanon they were seen as such. But to me he always sounded like Lyndon LaRouche when he spoke about US politics. The irony of Jumblat's lunch with Abrams is also because he is a classic anti-Semite. Jumblat used to mock those Arabs who opposed anti-Semitism. It is also ironic how Jumblat now talks about Ahmad Jibril and his PFLP-GC--and I am no fan of Jibril, unlike Jumblat who used to heap praise on him. Jibril saved his neck in the War of the Mountains. The War of the Mountains elevated Jumblat to his leadership position: he demonstrated skills in sectarian leadership, agitation, and...killings.