As of tonight, all local eyes will be on the movement and
positions of U.S. envoy Jeffrey Feltman who arrived in Beirut this evening and initiated
his meetings with MP Walid Jumblatt.
This time, Feltman will meet with President Sleiman, in addition
to Speaker Berri and PM Mikati. He is also expected to meet with March 14
figures at the house of MP Boutros Harb.
No matter how important, Feltman’s visit will definitely not
mask several other issues at the forefront of which we have the Baabda-Rabieh conflict
that was made public by the media, and is expected to be highlighted further
during the cabinet sessions of tomorrow and Thursday.
In Syria, it seems that the deteriorating situation in the
field beat the observers’ efforts. Well-informed sources reported that more
than 30 people were killed today at a time when a crisis between Damascus and
the U.N. began to loom on the horizon, due to the issue of visas to some
observers.
In the most prominent Arab development, Saudi newspapers
reported that an Iranian network of three persons plotted to assassinate Saudi
ambassador to Cairo three months ago; this network was arrested before being
able to carry out the assassination.