Jumblat: Lahoud Falls in 3 Months and Patriarch Sfeir Won't Protect Him

August 25, 2005; Walid Jumblat is openly implicating Emile Lahoud in ex-Premier Hariri's assassination, saying, "the President has three more months left for him in power, after which he has to search for someone to protect him."

The Druze leader laid particular stress on his persistent strong bonds with Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir, asserting that Lahoud's quest for sanctuary under the wing of the head of the Maronite Church "does not mean that the Patriarch is aligned with him."

Jumblat's remarks were made in an interview published Thursday by the Beirut daily Al Balad. He is implying that Lahoud's downfall would follow the publication of the final U.N. report on the outcome of the investigation into Hariri's murder.