Franjieh: Jumblatt to face heavy losses

Marada Movement leader MP Suleiman Franjieh on Tuesday voiced concerns over what he described as a“dangerous thing being plotted against Lebanon under the guise of humanitarian corridors and support for the Syrian opposition.” “Security-wise,” Franjieh continued,  “some places in Lebanon are calm while other places are tense. The atmosphere is changing day-by-day and it is heading towards negativity, not positivity.” “Who would have imagined the infiltration of the extremist group Fatah al-Islam before the eruption of its conflict with the army?” Franjieh said in an interview on  Lebanon’s OTV channel. He warned that “a hundred groups similar to Fatah al-Islam” are being set up in northern Lebanon. Should the situation change in Syria and it transfers from a secular to a sectarian regime, “Lebanon will be automatically affected, as well as the political map in Lebanon and the minorities in the region” Franjieh added. Suleiman Franjieh, who is close to embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, expressed his concern that “Lebanon is heading towards a crisis.” “I hope that Lebanon will always be stable, but let’s observe what’s being plotted  from the outside: there is a sectarian conflict in the Levant that is taking the form of a Sunni-Shiite conflict. The war on Syria is being fought under the auspices of democracy and freedom, but its real aim is to weaken the Iranian regime,” Franjieh said. He warned that “the battle will move to Lebanon” should the regime in Damascus manage to survive. “They spoke of toppling the regime in Syria, then they spoke of civil war. Should they find that ousting the regime is impossible, which is clearly the case, the battle will move to Lebanon, and therefore support for the Syrian opposition with money and arms by some malicious elements in Lebanon will lead to repercussions in Lebanon, not Syria,” Franjieh cautioned. Asked about Premier Najib Miqati’s government, Franjieh said: “Had ex-PM Saad Hariri been the current premier, the country would have been witnessing a civil war.” “Our objective today is the government's survival,  just as our objective was to topple the previous government,” he added. Asked whether he backs Miqati, Franjieh said: “I'm not with Miqati, but there is no alternative, and if the alternative is Hariri then I'm with Miqati's survival.” Commenting on the  Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat’s latest stance, Franjieh said: “Those who were surprised with Jumblat do not understand politics, and when problems arose in Syria I wasn't optimistic about Jumblat's loyalty to us and part of his agenda is related to elections”. "Jumblat will pay the price heavily in the coming elections", added Franjieh. Regarding administrative appointments between President Michel Suleiman and his ally, the Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun, Franjieh said: “I count on the Maronite patriarch Beshara al-Rahi, who should play an essential role concerning the issue of appointments.”