Press Digest for Monday April 09, 2012

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.
                                    

• LF MP accuses Syrian regime of being behind Geagea attempted assassination

Lebanese Forces MP Farid Habib said on Monday that the attempted assassination of LF leader Samir Geagea aimed at eliminating prominent and influential figures on the Lebanese scene.

In a statement to the Kuwaiti As-Siyasa newspaper, Habib accused “the Syrian regime of being behind the attempted assassination, in collaboration with some of its allies in Lebanon and who have a history of many assassinations that took place in Lebanon.”

“Everything is so obvious that the techniques used in the attempted assassination are only available with one party in Lebanon”, he added.

• Free Syrian Army attacks Aleppo’s military airport

Acharq al-Awsat daily quoted sources of the Free Syrian Army leadership as saying that some of its members in Reef Aleppo carried out on Saturday an advanced military operation in the Minakh military airport “in response to the Syrian army’s storming of Aleppo’s northern cities and committing crimes against its residents.”

The sources also told the daily that the operation targeted several helicopters that were stationed at the airport and killed more than 10 soldiers. The operation also saw the defection of several members of the Syrian army.                                  

• Mikati, Jumblatt discuss electoral law away from media coverage 

Al-Hayat daily reported on Monday that PM Najib Mikati, who left for London on Saturday on a family visit, had met a few days earlier with National Struggle Front leader MP Walid Jumblatt away from media coverage. According to the daily, Mikati discussed with Jumblatt the reasons behind the cabinet’s failure to address suspending issues in addition to the new electoral law.

Ministerial sources quoted Mikati as saying that he will not, at all costs, engage in a dispute with Jumblatt and that he prefers to ground his discussions upon the Boutros draft law, revealing that Mikati has not fully endorsed the draft law authored by the interior minister.