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.
An-Nahar
daily learned on Wednesday that the independent judicial committee comprised of
judges Hatem Madi, Shukri Sader and Aouni Ramadan and tasked with deciding on the
security services’ requests for interception of telephone calls turned down a
request to provide “all data”.
The
request was made by the ISF a week earlier on the subject of the attempted
assassination of Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea.
According to
an-Nahar daily, March
14 forces are expected to hold an expanded meeting on Wednesday afternoon at
the headquarters of Lebanese Forces in Maarab.
The
meeting is likely to voice a general position regarding the attempted assassination
of LF leader Samir Geagea and to touch on security and political challenges that
the internal situation is facing.
The Kataeb leadership decided to participate in the
meeting though the party does not usually take part in the meetings of the March
14 General-Secretariat.
PM
Najib Mikati told
As-Safir daily that he will return to Beirut this week to
follow up discussions of opened issues and to prepare for the general legislative
session and for the appropriate answers to the questions that will be raised by
MPs, those affiliated with the opposition in particular.
We will listen to their [statements] and we
will voice [our opinions]. Then, we let the public opinion judge,” Mikati said.
The
prime minister ruled out that the cabinet will approve a new raft of appointments
during the upcoming session to be held on April 20. He revealed however that a part
of appointments will be approved during the following session “after they have
ripened”.
Mikati explained that his recent meeting with British
Foreign Secretary William Hague in London was “very positive”, adding that
Hague confirmed his support for the approach adopted by the Lebanese government
and which has led to internal stability amid regional turmoil. Mikati added
that Britain showed understanding of Lebanon’s self-distancing policy towards
the Syrian crisis.
Well-informed sources told
As-Safir daily that 2 Lebanese
soldiers, whose duty service has been recently extended, fled the military
service and are now beyond Lebanese borders.
A few days after their absence, a military official
received an SMS that read “a special greeting from the Syrian town of Qusair […]
my colleague and I have joined the Free Syrian Army and we are currently fighting
against the Syrian regime.”
The sources explained that the fleeing took place
on April 1, adding that the Syrian authorities were briefed on the incident in
order to hand over the two fugitives to the Lebanese authorities.
As-Safir
daily reported that vacant positions in Lebanese embassies have reached
unprecedented numbers given that 22 out of 68 Lebanese embassies have no
ambassador.
Concerned
authorities always assure that diplomatic appointments will be carried out “very
soon”. However, the truth is that the issue hinges on the open political and
sectarian “bazaar” that is failing
to place the train on the right track.
In a
statement to the daily, second-grade diplomats have wondered about the delay in
their promotion to Grade 1, adding that the issue is not complicated and simply
requires a decision at the cabinet.