Lebanese opposition leader Walid Jumblatt on Saturday said his country does not ask for international protection even in this phase.

At a press conference, Jumblatt said Lebanon is a sovereign country and it could not permit any foreign force to interfere in its internal affairs under the pretext of helping resolve the crisis between Lebanon and Syria.

Jumblatt, head of Lebanon's Progressive Socialist Party, stressed that an international investigation into the killing of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri is necessary.

Syria must withdraw from Lebanon before the parliamentary elections due in May, he said, calling for the resignation of Lebanese security and intelligence chiefs.

On Monday, Jumblatt visited Egypt and held talks with President Hosni Mubarak on the situation in Lebanon. Enditem