Theoretically, it is the weekend, but practically, it was a
very busy day as many local and international developments emerged especially
in Syria and Egypt. In Syria, gunmen attacked a Syrian military unit from the
sea near the port of Latakia; this incident marked a turning point in the
confrontation between the regime and the opposition.
In Egypt, a diplomatic crisis broke out between
Riyad and Cairo when Riyad decided to close its embassy in Cairo and recall its
ambassador. This step pushed Field
Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi to call Saudi authorities in an attempt to heal
the rift that has resulted from the decision.
Domestically, the LAF intercepted Lutfallah
2 arms–laden cargo ship that was intending to smuggle weapons of different
sizes to Syria, through the port of Tripoli.
Also on Syria, the Future bloc officially announced its
support to the Syrian opposition during the popular festival being held in
Beirut at the moment.
On the political level, General Michel Aoun answered many questions
on Facebook and Twitter in a Q&A session held this evening on the first
anniversary of the Free Patriotic Movement’s Facebook page. He said that the
past experience does not encourage the re-approval of a consensual president,
adding that the president must own an imposing parliamentary bloc.