Introduction to the evening news 14-09-2012

Today was a historical day; the Pope’s historical speech comes at a fateful time for Lebanon and the region.         

Pope Benedict XVI advanced the slogan of his predecessor Pope John Paul II: “Lebanon is more than a country, it’s a message” launching a new one describing Lebanon as the “Emblem of coexistence”.                  

However, Pope Benedict insisted that this “coexistence cannot last without the goodwill and the commitment of all the Lebanese people.                   

The head of the Catholic Church also warned that coexistence in Lebanon is fragile, and could be easily shattered.                  

Upon his arrival to Beirut Airport, the Holy Pontiff made clear statements regarding the recent events overtaking the Arab World saying: “The Arab Spring is a positive cry for freedom; it exemplifies the desire of people for freedom and a new identity; however this change must be accompanied by dialogue”.              

The Pope took a clear stance on weapons; "Weapon imports must come to an end for without weapons, wars cannot go on", he said.             

The first Papal day in Lebanon also witnessed the signature of the Apostolic Exhortation.             

In contrast, a string of protests over YouTube's anti-Muslim film "The Innocence of Muslims" rocked the world and reached Lebanon where one person was killed and dozens were wounded in Tripoli as Islamists attacked a KFC restaurant and tried to break into Tripoli's Serail. The British Daily The Independent revealed today that the attack against the U.S. Consulate in Beghazi was not spontaneous; "it was a dangerous security breach as critical documents including a list of Libyans collaborating with the U.S. and oil contracts were found missing".            

In Damascus, international envoy Akhdar Ibrahimi continues his mission amid increasing reports stipulating that international diplomacy has reached a deadlock in Syria.


For the full news intro please watch the video above [soon to be uploaded]