Call for armed struggle in Syria: Wi'am Wahab, a lover of controversy

Known for his fiery rhetoric and headline-grabbing appearances, former minister Wiam Wahhab was back in the spotlight this week with a controversial post on X calling for the creation of a “Tawhid Army.” The proposed militia would aim to support the Druze community in Sweida, Syria, amid days of deadly sectarian clashes. Wahhab even invited Hezbollah to join the force, despite the party facing mounting calls to disarm following its war with Israel.A former ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Wahhab has always loved controversy. In 2011, he sparked outrage among Sunnis and Druze when he compared Saudi women in abayas to “black garbage bags,” prompting protests in cities including Tripoli. In 2018, after losing a parliamentary race to Druze MP Marwan Hamadeh — an ally of Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Joumblatt — he told a...