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
As-Safir newspaper the United Nations Security Council with its 15 members will look into the head of the Arab League Nabil el Arabi’s proposal regarding the Syrian crisis. Qatari PM Hamad ben Jassem will be present at the meeting.
El Arabi will propose that the Syrian President Bashar Assad transfers all his power to the Vice President. Arab diplomatic sources told the newspaper that the Russia delegation at the United Nations will hold a closed meeting with the head of the Arab League to explain Russia’s veto on any resolution regarding Syria.
Western diplomats mentioned that the UNSC resolution on Syria will be discussed on Friday.
Sources from the Internal Security Forces Intelligence office told
As-Safir that March 8 forces are trying to reduce the impact of the assassination plot against the head of the ISF Gen Ashraf Rifi or the ISF intelligence chief Col. Wissam Hassan.
The sources revealed to the newspaper that the ISF are considering three sources behind the assassination plot as Syria being on top of the list, adding that Col. Wissam Hassan was targeted as he hold all legal and criminal investigation records in his hands.
Sources close to the Syrian Foreign Ministry told
Al-Watan Syrian newspaper that the western speeches against Syria are becoming more aggressive as they are not related to reforms or democracy by any means.
The sources revealed that the western statement became more aggressive as the “terrorist groups” suffered of large numbers of casualties during the three past days and with the upcoming Security Council meeting on Syria.
“Washington and the Western forces are trying to hit Syria through a UNSC resolution and to reflect a different image that the one we have on the ground here, they have lost everything in politics”, the sources were quoted as saying.
“We do not understand how some Arab countries are empowering Western policies as they think they are immune to these policies and to terrorist attacks”.
Governmental sources told
Al-Hayat newspaper that the telecommunication data at the Ministry is not illegal as it has been collected based on strict laws from the government and the Public Prosecution office.
The sources added that until now the Minister of Energy Gebran Bassil did not present the entire required document related to the electricity issue in Lebanon or the documents explaining the steps of the renovation of some power plants as he promised to provide the government with the documents two months ago.
Al-Hayat mentioned that the cabinet session today is expected to be a tensed one as ministers will argue if funding the electricity plan through Arab donations is a legitimate step or not.
Ministerial sources told al-Akhbar newspaper that PM Najib Mikati and the ministers’ members of President Michel Sleiman bloc and MP Walid Jumblat bloc will ask from the ministry of telecommunication to hand its data to the security forces in order to preserve security in the country.
Minsters of the Change and Reform bloc as well as the minsters of March 8 will oppose this proposal to preserve privacy in the country.