Introduction to the evening news 03-06-2012

Is the Tripoli predicament over? Since last night and throughout the day, ten people have been killed. This As the LAF and the ISF continued their widespread deployment throughout the city. However several meetings such as the one that took place last night have yielded the results which played out on the ground today. So the question remains whether this truce is temporary or whether the spark of violence would be reignited.                 

This as some positive news came through. Two Lebanese men who had been arrested by the Syrian forces were handed over to the LAF and subsequently released. Mohammad Yassin Al-Merehbi and Mahdi Hamdan were handed over to the Higher Syrian-Lebanese Council Secretary General, Syrian national Nasri  Al-Khoury.                 

However the biggest news today was the counter immigration of Syrian citizens and workers via Masnaa point all at once – without a valid and known reason. It was as though a secret word had summoned their return. A Syrian diplomatic source told LBCI that there had been instructions for Syrian workers to leave, yet denied relation to a fifth front or media provocation.                   

Within the context of the Syrian file, Syrian President Bashar Assad declared his stance before parliament and stressed that terrorism would not be tolerated. The Syrian National Council on the other hand saw a call for the continuation of bloodshed in Assad’s speech.                    

Before delving into these issues details, the question of Qatar’s position is raised. Especially since it seems a change of slogan may be at hand, from “Thank you Qatar” to fears of burning the Gulf nation’s flag at the football game between Lebanon and Qatar tonight.                

Our colleague Nada Andrawos Aziz who stands in front of the Sports City stadium gives us all the details one hour before the match is set to start.