The following are summaries of today's major stories
published in the Arabic press. LBCI does not edit press digest articles for
content, giving English-language readers insight into the various views
expressed in newspapers across the Arab world.
According to
Acharq al Awsat daily, ministerial sources expect that the cabinet decision on
wage increase which was put to a vote despite the agreement between employers
and GLC will become, with the beginning of the new year, “without father or
mother.”
The sources
added that, based on PM Najib Mikati’s refusal to sign the decision so that it
becomes effective and the economic bodies’ refusal to implement it, the vote at
cabinet is thereby considered, in practice, null and void.
The sources
added that Change and Reform Bloc Leader MP Michel Aoun “renounced paternity”
of Minister Nahhas’ plan. Meanwhile, ministerial sources from the Majority
revealed that Aoun confirmed “the adopted decision harms the economy; it is
difficult to implement and exceeds the potentials of employers.”
According to
ministerial sources, Hezbollah’s ministers, as well as Amal Movement’s
ministers, admitted, during discussions with colleagues, that Nahhas’ plan is
inapplicable for economic reasons and voting in favor of the plan was only to
please General Aoun and to consolidate the alliance with him after the latter
had complained about their lack of support for several decisions at cabinet.
In addition,
sources close to Mikati reported that Aoun as well as his ministers deal with
the tabled issues as if “science and knowledge rest with them only”.
According to Acharq al Awsat daily, senior security sources
confirmed that there is no presence of Al Qaeda in Lebanon, stressing that Lebanon
can fend off this phenomenon that some had spread into Lebanon since the
incidents of Nahr al-Bared and the north.
The sources added that the Lebanese territory is no longer a
base or corridor for any terrorist group.
“Lebanon is no longer an exposed scene and its security
cannot be manipulated by anyone,” the sources explained, stressing that “there
are security forces, a Lebanese Army and official apparatuses watching over the
security of the country and fortifying it against any external repercussions.”
Acharq al Awsat daily quoted Baath Party bloc MP Assem Kanso
on Monday as saying that Al Qaeda is infiltrated in Lebanon with more than 20
related fundamentalist organizations.
Kanso confirmed that Salafist Movements in north Lebanon and
Bekaa provide a “fertile soil” for the expansion of Al Qaeda in Lebanon.
"These Salafist Movements and Takfir groups have turned
Lebanon along with some of the Bekaa regions into a 'loose flank' of Syria,
securing the infiltration of Al Qaeda militants into Homs, Quseir and Talkalakh
in order to fight and weaken Syria in a bid to bring it down", he said.
Kanso added that Al Qaeda began to reinforce its presence in
Lebanon since Nahr al-Bared incidents with “Fatah al-Islam” as appellation;
while in Ain al-Hilweh camp, it took the name of “Jund al-Sham” and “Kataeb
Abdullah Azzam” and many others.
“Some of Arsal residents established a small city in
Al-Macharii area, a common property owned by Christians; they later expanded
towards Ras Baalbek where they established a mosque and an itinerant
dispensary. Thus, they became the lung of the militants in Homs and Quseir”, he
said, accusing Future Movement MP Khaled Daher of being involved in the Syrian
events as he based his accusations on the killing of his companion in Homs a few
days ago.