Press Digest for Tuesday May 29, 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.        

• Khoury: Successful dialogue requires neutral cabinet implementing its decisions   

The advisor to the former PM Saad Hariri, former MP Ghattas Khoury stressed that the dialogue that President Michel Suleiman called for, can only be successful when a neutral cabinet is present and functional, noting that the current cabinet is no longer able to implement any of the agreements.

In an interview with Al-Mustaqbal newspaper, Khoury described the rumors regarding Hariri’s relation with the abductors of the 11 Lebanese, as tendentious and aims at destabilizing the Lebanese unity on this issue. He added that Hariri is deploying strong efforts with the Turkish authorities “in order to release the abductees”.              

• Brian Cox: Building peace preachers in our world, urgently needed            

The Senior Vice President of the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy said that building peace preachers in our world has become an urgent need for adjusting the “rhythm” of existing global conflicts.         

In a regional conference for pioneering figures, organized by the Institute for Islamic-Christian studies at St. Joseph University, Cox told An-Nahar daily on approaching foreign policy, that those in charge should study the reality of the religions in their targeted communities, before even meeting with them.           

Cox reiterated his confidence regarding approaching successful foreign policy in the Middle East adding that it can be achieved through studying various religions.               

• Kataeb party calls on 14 March allies to hold urgent session regarding dialogue          

As-Safir daily reported that Kataeb party asked its March 14 allies to hold an urgent session within 48 hours, during which every party should present the reasons for supporting the dialogue or rejecting it, and whether the request for a neutral cabinet is real and convincing or hiding other motives.            

In this context, MP Boutros Harb told as-Safir that he supports the dialogue in principle, and that March 14's position is in favor of dialogue. However he blamed the March 8 camp for previously disrupting dialogue.            

Harb said that talks discussing only the issue of the arms of Hizbollah is futile, seemingly since "nothing will change in those regards".

Harb added that this dialogue should adopt new topics on its agenda.

• Mikati welcomes Suleiman’s call for dialogue         

PM Najib Mikati hailed the call to dialogue, hoping that a meeting of all Lebanese political factions on one table would yield positive results.

Mikati told as-Safir newspaper that the call for dialogue is an excellent initiative for which he hoped all Lebanese factions would respond to. 

Mikati added that past experiences have shown time and time again, that nothing other than national dialogue moves the country forward.

• Asiri: Saudi King’s call for dialogue comes from his commitment to Lebanon             

The Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Awad Asiri praised the affinity of the Lebanese authorities towards the call of Saudi King Abdallah bin Abdel Aziz  to dialogue.                

Asiri told Acharq al Awsat daily that Saudi Arabia appreciates the way the Lebanese leaderships responded to the call for dialogue, especially President Suleiman, noting that the King’s call comes from his commitment to Lebanon and the importance of communication among its leaders to spare the country possible risks.              

• Unknown electronic virus hits Lebanon and the region

As-Safir daily reported that scientists from a Russian company revealed that a group has launched a widespread electronic attack, in order to get information from a number of countries such as Lebanon, Iran, Israel, Syria, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.             

“Kaspersky Labs”, a Russian headquarter and owned multi-national computer security company, noted that its experts think that the virus “Flame” has been working since 2010 and that a specific country, not yet identified, is behind it.           

The company described this virus as “the most dangerous and complicated electronic virus”. It also put it under the category of the “unknown viruses”, pointing that it is a developed worm that has infiltrated computers in both Iran and Israel.            

In addition, the company explained that this virus does not aim at damaging information systems, as was the case with “Stuxnet” - a virus which targeted Iran not so long ago, and does not aim to steal money, as crime developed viruses do.

      

• Siniora to Suleiman: we did not disrupt the dialogue

An-Nahar daily reported that visits made by dialogue poles to Baabda Palace, especially MP Walid Jumblatt last Saturday and Fouad Siniora yesterday, did not come within the framework of the dialogue but was based on previous appointments.            

Al-Hayat daily quoted Siniora as saying, addressing President Suleiman: “We are the ones who believed in the dialogue and its importance, we did not disrupt it. It was Hezbollah who boycotted the last sessions”. We are now interested in resuming dialogue".