Press Digest for Monday May 21, 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.             

• Kahwaji: We will not allow discord in any Lebanese region     

LAF Commander Jean Kahwaji announced that what happened in Akkar is the result of the political tension in the area, calling on politicians to extinguish the fire of sedition for the Lebanese do not want to drive their country backwards and they adhere to the state and army.    

 In a statement to al-Joumhouria daily, Kahwaji stressed that the problem lies in certain speeches which sometimes constitute the trigger of tension and discord, adding “we will not allow discord in the north or any Lebanese region; what affects our fellows in Akkar, Tripoli and every city or village in Lebanon affects us too. The army is for the residents and not against them.”         

• Sources to al-Joumhouria: Abd al-Wahed's convoy provoked army troops at checkpoint                       .    

Well-informed sources told al-Joumhouria daily that the convoy of Ahmad Abd al-Wahed provoked the army troops who demanded his companions to produce the arms transfer license.    

The companions refused to comply with the army’s order and it was later revealed that they do not possess any license. When the LAF insisted that they hand over their arms since they were not allowed in the ceremony, the Sheikh’s companions failed to abide by their demand and pressed on, ignoring the army deployed along the road. Then, one of the companions opened fire towards the army, injuring one of them in the leg and damaging a military vehicle.                             

• Alloush: Eid’s call for return of Syrian army to Lebanon a stab to LAF dignity      

Future Movement MP Mustafa Alloush said that the Arab Democratic Party official Rifaat Eid has translated through his call for the Syrian army to return to Lebanon, the intentions of his leadership in Damascus on the basis of “take their secrets from their young ones.”    

Alloush told al-Anbaa daily that Eid’s demand constitutes, theoretically, a stab to the army’s dignity and to its capabilities to take control of the situation in the city, but practically, it confirms that Eid and all the allies of Syria in Lebanon see into the army an obstacle  to their projects and ambitious.