Press Digest for Tuesday April 10, 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.

• Hariri: The government is responsible for Ali Shaaban’s death

Official sources told An-Nahar newspaper that the Syrian government did not issue any statement regarding the shooting incident at the border that caused the death of the New TV cameraman Ali Shaaban until late Monday night. Former PM Saad Hariri press office issued a statement saying that the attack on Ali Shaaban is an attack on the Lebanese authority and sovereignty. “

The Lebanese government is full responsible for the death of Ali Shaaban as it has neglected all Syrian breaches for months now and failed to take any decision to stop such actions immediately”, the statement mentioned.  

• March 14 figures in Maarab to express solidarity with Geagea

According to An-Nahar newspaper March 14 General Secretariat has distributed more than 200 invitations for prominent political figures to participate in the Maarab meeting at the Lebanese Forces headquarters on Wednesday to express their solidarity with head of LF Samir Geagea after his assassination attempt and to discuss the upcoming political changes in the region.

Sources told the newspaper that the meeting redraws the political path of March 14 especially with the changes in the region and the Arab Spring. March 14 sources revealed that the Lebanese government is fully aware that the assassination attempt targeting the head of the Lebanese forces Samir Geagea was not a bluff or a joke and is currently taking the necessary steps to reveal the perpetrators.  

• Hezbollah will preserve its role if Assad falls

The Centre for Euro-Mediterranean Studies issued a report on Tuesday published in An-Nahar newspaper discussing several scenarios to redraw the political map in the Middle East.

The report mentioned that the current events in Syria will be soon transferred to the Lebanese political and security scene amid the total absence of a foreign intervention or the creation of buffer zones.

“On the long run, Assad regime will eventually fall; the fall of Assad will breathe life into March 14 forces and the Cedar Revolution as the Syrian influence on Lebanon will diminish affection mostly the legitimacy and the popularity of Hezbollah”, the report mentioned.   

“Without the Syrian political support Hezbollah will collapse but experts expect that Hezbollah will be able to preserve its presence and role due to its arms and strong political ties with Iran”.

• Geagea assassination plot was well prepared

According to Al-Mustaqbal newspaper, the investigations on the assassination plot targeting the head of the Lebanese Forces Samir Geagea are still undergoing.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the assassination plot has been well organized amid rumors that a group of people tried to rent a house in Maarab towards the end of summer 2011 but failed to agree with the owner.

Maarab residents informed the Lebanese Forces headquarters security of the incident and that the group of people left Maarab after that the LF security asked to meet them.