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.
“Le Canard Enchaine” French newspaper revealed that until now the name of the former Lebanese PM Rafic Hariri is still linked to former French President Jacques Chirac in issues related to corruption and dishonest political deals.
This time the scandal is related to a Saudi-French arms deal made by former French PM Eduard Balladur who tried to invest the profit made out of this deal into his electoral campaign for presidency against Chirac.
The newspaper added that Hariri personally intervene providing Chirac with the necessary financial support to cover almost all of his expenses for the race for presidency.
According to
An-Nahar newspaper the head of the Progressive Socialist Party MP Walid Jumblatt described the Russian Veto against UNSC resolution on Syria as being doomed, adding that it gave an excuse to all western powers to remain silent on the ongoing bloodbath.
Jumblatt said that the West is using Al-Qaeda and the fact that most of the protests are peaceful as an excuse to remain indifferent from the crisis in Syria. “They can at least intervene to impose a ceasefire and save Homs residents and the Syrian people”, Jumblatt told An-Nahar.
“They are simply giving more time for President Assad to finish his war on Homs and precisely on Bab Amro so they can start negotiating and reach a political consensus”.
Political sources told
Al-Joumhouria newspaper that many candidates are ready to replace the resigned Minister of Labor Charbel Nahas, adding that the candidates are Judge Arlette Joseph Jreissati, Dr. Charles Jazra, Akram Halabi and ex General Nadim Lteif.
The sources added that the head of the Free Patriotic Movement MP Michel Aoun is more likely to name Lteif to replace Nahas as Lteif resumed his political activism in the FPM lately and developed a personal relation with General Aoun and has been attending social events organized by the FPM as well as Aoun’s birthday.
Al-Joumhouria mentioned that Aoun’s main concerns are to reduce the discontent of FPM’s supporters after his last stances against Nahas and will name Lteif since he is close to the opposition groups inside the Free Patriotic Movement.
Minister of Interior Marwan Charbel told
As-Safir newspaper that the security situation in Lebanon is under the control of the concerned authorities amid the growing tension between different political parties in the country and the latest events in the region.
“I’m worried about the growing violence in Syria as it might spread to Lebanon especially if the conflict takes a sectarian perspective between Sunnis and Alawites”, Charbel told the newspaper.
“The wave of sectarian violence might spread to Lebanon and then we will be facing a serious problem”.
Asked about weapon smuggling activities on the northern border Charbel said “weapon dealers are behind most of these activities amid the growing demand of weapons in the conflict regions; it is never easy to control a 160 km border as there will always be gaps and illegal routes for smugglers”.