Franjieh: Dangerous Thing Plotted against Lebanon under Slogan of Humanitarian Corridors
Marada Movement leader MP Suleiman Franjieh on Tuesday voiced concerns over a possible “dangerous thing being plotted against Lebanon under the slogans of humanitarian corridors and support for the (Syrian) opposition.”
“Security-wise, some places in Lebanon are calm and other places are tense. The atmosphere is being prepared day after day and it is heading towards negativity, not positivity. Who sensed the presence of (the extremist group) Fatah al-Islam before the eruption of its conflict with the army?” Franjieh said in an interview on OTV.
He warned that “a hundred” groups similar to Fatah al-Islam were being set up in northern Lebanon.”
“Should the situation change in Syria and should it transit 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.
The Christian leader, who is close to embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, expressed his fears that “Lebanon is heading towards a crisis.”
“I wish Lebanon will always be stable, but let’s observe what’s being plotted 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 slogan of democracy and freedom, but its real aim is weakening 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 supporting the Syrian opposition with money and arms by some malicious people in Lebanon will lead to creating an atmosphere that will have its repercussions on Lebanon, not on Syria,” Franjieh cautioned.
Asked about Premier Najib Miqati’s government, Franjieh said: “Had (ex-PM) Saad Hariri been the current premier, the country would've been witnessing a civil war.”
“Our objective today is government's survival, the same as we had the objective to topple the previous government,” he added.
Asked on whether he backs Miqati, Franjieh said: “I'm not with Miqati, but he has no alternative, and if the alternative is Hariri then I'm with Miqati's survival.”
Commenting on Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat’s latest stances, Franjieh said: “Those who were surprised with Jumblat do not understand politics, and when problems began in Syria I wasn't optimistic about Jumblat's loyalty to us and part of his calculations is related to elections.”
Addressing the row over administrative appointments between President Michel Suleiman and his ally 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.”
Source: Naharnet
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