Introduction to the evening news 17-12-2011

A race to the Security Council:     

48 hours after Russia had declared a draft resolution regarding Syria, the Arab Ministerial Committee revealed from Doha its intention to refer the issue, too, to the U.N. Security Council.   

 Is the Arab decision a means to trump the Russian initiative which did not draw the support of Europe, France and the U.S. or rather a cover for it, given that the unannounced end of the Russian draft resolution is the implementation of the Arab initiative clauses? Did the Arabs resort to the original plan which the Foreign Minister Walid Al-Muallem had warned against, noting that this plan was part of the decisions of the Arab ministerial meeting, held on November 24, and which explicitly spoke about intentions to resort to the U.N.?   

Does the decision of the Arab Ministerial Committee aim at exerting pressure on Damascus to make it sign before Wednesday, a date set by the Qatar PM Hamad Ben Ani Jassem on which the League Council is expected to finally settle the issue?    

Damascus, which has received today an Iraqi delegation, has not yet responded.    

The Iraqi delegation moved to Cairo at a time when the Egyptian capital is witnessing in turn a violent clash between security forces and protesters.        

In Lebanon, the picture has grown slightly clearer. For the first time in months, General Michel Aoun visits Baabda Palace, breaking the ice between him and the president. It was reported that the appointments issue, the stimulation of the cabinet work and Aoun’s demands and objections were the focus of the meeting.     

Meanwhile, reactions spurred by the statement of the Bkerke meeting are still narrow, expect for the objection voiced by MP Walid Jumblatt this evening as well as the reservation expressed by MP Nuhad Mashnouq who said “the electoral proposal is not reassuring”. On the other hand, MPs Sami Gemayel and Alain Aoun confirmed to LBCI that what was issued did not contravene the Taif Accord.