The Opposition’s Enemy Within

Nothing harms the opposition more than the lose tongue of their Northern ally Sleiman Frangieh.

Dangerous

It wasn’t only NBN’s Saeed Ghrayyeb who was dumbstruck by the words coming out of his interviewee’s mouth.

Mr. Frangieh went on and on: Patriarch Sfeir is an American stooge, a forgetful 90-year old flip flopper, he’s on the payroll of Mr. Hariri, he can’t be trusted with the Christians’ future.. etc

I don’t think that the opposition’s leadership sanctioned, let alone planned, Mr. Frangieh diatribe. I’m inclined to believe that the strategists at Hezbollah are scratching their heads now and are moving to damage control.

Some analysts and politicians are saying that Mr. Frangieh’s attacks are part of a larger campaign against Bkirki. But if you ask me, this looks more like the dangerous improvisations of a man famous for stepping on his own toes.

The snowballing Christian backlash against Mr. Frangieh’s comments (with the Majority fanning that flame) should have been expected. The Patriarch commands great respect among many Lebanese Christians, and his influence can never be under-estimated.

Many in Mr. Aoun’s coalition are uneasy with the disrespectful language targeting the Patriarch. Mr. Frangieh’s comments could end up being the boulder that will eventually break that camel’s back.