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.
Sources reported
to
Al-Anbaa daily that the head of the intelligence branch, General Wissam
al-Hassan, after the end of the period of mourning in Akkar, will be in charge of establishing a communication channel between the army and MPs in Akkar, namely MPs Khaled
Daher and Mouin Merhebi, hoping to finally agree on neutralizing the army.
Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai confirmed to
As-Seyassah daily that the fall of the Syrian regime will not affect the
Christian presence in the region, voicing fear of civil war and division or
that an extremer [movement] rises to power.
Commenting on Lebanese issues, Rai stressed that it
is the role of the state to protect citizens and not that of armed mini-states,
adding that the problem lies in the fact that the Lebanese have allegiance to people,
parties and factions instead of having allegiance to the state.
Well-informed sources following up on investigations
into the killing of Sheikh Ahmad abd al-Wahed told
al-Akhbar daily that
testimonies given by officers and military men, arrested in the case, converged
on one result which is that Abd al-Wahed’s companion is the one who opened fire
first and that a military vehicle received 4 bullets while one soldier sustained
injuries in his forehead after he was hit by the fragment of a bullet that
rebounded off the vehicle.
The sources added that the LAF Command is highly
cooperating over the investigations and that Army Commander Jean Kahwaji granted permission to the Military Prosecution Department to chase after the
suspected officers and military men.
According to the same sources, the army troops manning the Akkar
checkpoint had received, a few days before the incident, orders to be firmer when
inspecting passing vehicles to avert that any arms reach participants in the rally
organized by the SSNP and those taking part in the rally of Khaled Daher in
Halba.
The head of the higher military council of the Free Syrian Army
Brigadier General Mustafa Sheikh confirmed in a statement to
Acharq al-Awsat daily
that the FSA has nothing to do with the recent abduction of Lebanese people in
Aleppo, stressing that he was notified of the incident only through a call from
Lebanon urging him to mediate to release the abductees.
Sheikh told the daily that the current phase is plagued
with chaos as armed groups claim that they belong to the FSA while in fact they
don’t.
PM Najib Mikati told
As-Safir daily that the letter
sent by Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al Saud confirms once again the rightness
of the self-distancing policy adopted by the Lebanese cabinet towards the
repercussions of the Syrian crisis.
Mikati added that some people should read very well
the statement of the Saudi king and stop acting rashly.