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.
Islamic sources from Ain el-Hilweh told al-Akhbar newspaper that Sheikh Ahmad Assir’s last statements to the Qatari Al-Watan newspaper are completely rejected as he incited the Lebanese Armed Forces to enter the camp in order to arrest the head of the terrorist cell lately discovered.
Assir told the newspaper that it is too early for the Islamist to arrive to power in the Arab spring countries as they are not ready for such political move.
In this regard a Sheikh close to Fatah Al-Islam told Al-Akhbar that these purposes and words used by Assir such as “terrorists” and others are completely rejected.
“We realized that the head of the Lebanese Forces Party Samir Geagea and Sheikh Ahmad Assir have the same political speech as they represent the same political path; We call on all Ain el-Hilweh residents to take the streets to protests against Assir”, Al-Akhbar quoted Fatah al-Islam Sheikh as saying.
Al-Akhbar newspaper mentioned that since 2009 the relationship between two Tripolian politicians, the Minister of Finance Mohammad Safadi and Prime Minister Najib Mikati was seen as “holy political alliance” until the formation of the current government in 2011.
The newspaper added that the alliance was put on halt due to the technical details regarding the “electricity ships issues” and the diverted point of views between Mikati and Safadi.
In this regard sources close to the Minister of Finance told the newspaper the government decided to form a ministerial committee with the participation of the ministers of environment, finance and energy in order to study all proposals received regarding these ships.
The sources added that PM Mikati started taking decisions without consulting the formed committee and neglecting its point of view and feedback.
Religious sources told al-Liwaa newspaper that several Maronite figures have informed Patriarch Bshara Rai about the need to adjust the current relationship between the head of the Lebanese forces Party Samir Geagea and Bkerke especially after Geagea’s latest comment regarding Rai’s statements on the Syrian issue.
The sources added that growing concerns have been expressed regarding Rai’s statements.
Speaker Nabih Berri told An-Nahar newspaper that that parliament would hold the government accountable if it fails to appoint the members of the oil authority.
The cabinet’s adoption of the authority’s formation bill is not enough to avoid a parliamentary grilling, Berri said.
“I do not understand why the appointment of the Oil committee would take so long; the government has been formed ten months ago and until now we are unable to fill a single vacant position”, Berri told the newspaper.
“Apparently those who cannot fill a position within 10 months will obviously fail to form a committee in 10 days although the criteria are available allowing the elite of each sect to enter the committee”.
Addressing PM Najib Mikati Berri said “Mikati knows better if his government is able to be protective or not”.