Introduction to the evening news 08-01-2012

Everyone held their breath starting 2 pm today as the Arab ministerial committee was meeting with the observers’ mission in Syria. The meeting lasted more than expected, causing the delay of the ensuing press conference. However, the report’s leaked information outrun it and had many significations; the report mentioned that both the Syrian regime and the opposition annoyed the monitors, each one of them trying to convince them it is right. The report also included pictures of military vehicles, Human Rights violations and media restrictions.       

Nevertheless, Qatari Prime Minister Hamad Bin Jassem’s statement outran the report; he sent several messages to the Syrian regime calling it to immediately stop all violence and put an end to the bloodshed.           

More important than the report is what comes next. Until now, according to the statement, the monitoring mission was given more time, which means that it will not finish its mission in 10 days, i.e. in one month.    

Everyone held their breath all across the region, but for a different reason. The U.S. Defense minister announced today that the U.S. will respond if Iran seeks to close the Strait of Hormuz, adding that this passage is a “red line issue”.         

In Lebanon, the news are obsolete; the same issues repeat themselves and are at a standstill. Tomorrow, the wage issue will prevail over the meeting between the economic bodies and the GLC in the Grand Serail and the Parliamentary Defense Committee will hold a hearing for Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn due to his statement about the presence of al-Qaeda militants in the town of Arsal.