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.
It seems clear that until the Independence Day festival organized by the Future Movement on November 27 in Rashid Karami International Fair, Tripoli will have to raise the challenge of an ever escalation in the political rhetoric. According to
As-Safir daily, the “blue movement” is attempting to mobilize a large number of supporters with very limited financial means.
The newspaper added that the Future Movement considers that the time is right to answer PM Najib Mikati and his ministers in their city four month after the cabinet was formed. The daily quoted sources close to the Future Movement as saying that in politics it is allowed to take advantage of the Syrian crisis, the Arab league’s decision and Lebanon’s vote that negated the will of the Lebanese to make the festival a success. The sources added that the Future Movement intends to launch a series of popular movements that will overthrow the government, isolating Mikati and his partners.
On the other hand, sources close to PM Mikati told As-Safir that Future Movement and March 14 forces are taken by the thirst for power; therefore they will use all internal and external means to rein once again, regardless of the higher national good. Mikati's sources added that March 14 is resorting to unrealistic and ill-founded slogans and using the good people of Tripoli to achieve their political goals.
“Mikati has confidence in his performance and believes that his actions are in Lebanon’s best interest and benefit in turn the residents of Tripoli in particular and the North in general”, the sources said. The sources confirmed that PM Mikati will not be forced into any decision that contradicts his plans to secure stability and peaceful coexistence in Lebanon.
The same sources stressed that if the situation in Syria exacerbates, it will not render the cabinet vulnerable. “On the contrary, Lebanon will be in need of a PM that is centrist and does not prefer one party over the other”, the sources said.
The sources advised the Future Movement to re-examine its choices, abandon its attempts to take advantage of fanaticism and add fuel to the fire. “Instead of entangling Tripoli in a never ending fight, the Future Movement should share its richness with the residents of the city. Future Movement should follow in the footsteps of Mikati who is putting his political career in the service of Tripoli and not the other way around,” the sources added.
Speaking on the possibility of convening a session for the national dialogue, the Head of the Kataeb party Amin Gemayel told
An-Nahar daily the other party is imposing its own ideas claiming that they are set in stone. “If this dialogue were to be a dialogue of the death, meaning that everyone will come to empty their bucket and impose their inarguable preconceived ideas, we will not be able to dialogue”, Gemayel said.
Gemayel added that he put forth a suggestion for President Michel Sleiman to draft a presidential paper, based on previous discussions, to pin point the problems and suggest available solutions and options. “Afterwards, all parties will determine their positions based on whether this paper will lead to the desired results”, Gemayel said.
For his part, Deputy Speaker Farid Makari underscored the importance of dialogue in general, adding that it is the best means to solve all national problems, An-Nahar daily reported. “Based on our previous experience, we cannot trust the other party any more”, Makari told the local daily.
Makari added that such a dialogue is “a waste of time” and would only “buy the other party more time to continue stalling”. On the other hand, the Head of the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Mohammad Raad told An-Nahar that Hezbollah will always endorse national dialogue, adding that it does not have any pre-conditions and will not accept pre-conditions imposed by the other party. According to the same newspaper, sources close to former PM Fouad Siniora regarded a dialogue that is “all talk and no action” as useless.
“At a certain point, the dialogue was a source of pride because it allowed the parties to reach a consensus on several issues, especially the STL, the weapons of Palestinians and borders demarcation”, the sources said, “However none of that was implemented” The daily quoted Siniora’s sources as saying that the call for a national dialogue these days is just a way to cover up for abnormalities.
Special Tribunal for Lebanon spokesperson Marten Youssef told
As-Safir daily that the UN-backed Tribunal secured the third year’s complete budget. Youssef said that 30 countries from the five continents donated money for the STL, stressing however that this does not exonerate Lebanon from paying its share.
An official concerned source told the newspaper that it is in the STL’s best interest not to reach the point of no return with the Lebanese government. “The Hague-based Tribunal should encourage Lebanon and the UN to engage in serious negotiations that will eventually lead to a national consensus regarding the STL”, the sources added. The daily quoted the same sources as saying that the cabinet confirmed that it has the will to cooperate with the Tribunal and made sure that the 2012 draft budget includes a draft law to secure Lebanon’s share.
The sources stressed that such a draft does not mean that Lebanon will go from a partner to a debtor. The same sources added that the Lebanese cabinet did not receive any detailed information related to funding except for what was mentioned in the two reports issued by the first STL President Antonio Cassese. The first report, issued in 2009, mentioned that 25 countries contributed to the Tribunal’s budget, through donations or in-kind assistance. The reported mentioned that the EU generously donated € 1,500,000.
As-Safir daily reported that the cabinet will inaugurate on Saturday a control room that has the mission to have a tighter grip on certain security apparatuses. In fact, some security apparatuses deviate from their original job which is to protect the freedoms of the Lebanese and try to blackmail politicians and civilians alike. Interior Minister Marwan Charbel told As-Safir that the control room will open new horizons for Lebanon according to the provisions of law 140.
“We will make sure that dignities, freedoms and the privacy of the Lebanese are respected, contrary to the violations seen in the past”, Charbel said.
Charbel stressed that the control room will start operating from 7 a.m. on Saturday, and at 10 a.m. a press conference will be held to announce its official establishment. The newspaper quoted Charbel as saying that from now on there will be no duality in the prerogatives of security apparatuses, adding that the control room will operate under the law. “In the past there were rooms to eavesdrop and invade the privacy of the Lebanese citizens. From now on, there is only one room that will function properly and within legal boundaries”, Charbel added.
“All Lebanese agree that the control room should be governed by national standards with a double priority”, an official source said, “It will be entrusted with the task of fighting terrorism, crime and all activities hampering the political and economic stability of the country on the one hand and it will seek to maintain the Lebanese public and individual freedoms on the other.”
For his part, one of the members of the newspaper’s information and communication department said that the control room will surely restrict the Information Branch and will curb anarchy. On the other hand, a source familiar with the work of the security forces told As-Safir that the Information Branch is an integral part of the Internal Security Forces; therefore its work serves the best interest of the State and domestic stability.
Sources close to former PM Fouad Siniora told
Al-Hayat daily that talks in the Vatican and Cairo were reassuring. The sources added that the discussions were centered on the positions regarding the Arab Spring and the need to reassure the Christians in the Middle East and dissipate their fears following the deadly incidents in Egypt and Iraq.
Al-Hayat learned that all parties partaking in these discussions agreed that it is necessary to maintain stability in Lebanon and fight violence seeking a peaceful coexistence between Christians and Muslims. The daily quoted the same sources as saying that the Vatican is well aware that the Arab Spring is a reality and that it would be wrong to stand in the face of change.
“The Vatican sees that the Middle East needs to adapt to these changes while maintaining partnership between Christians and Muslims”, the sources added.
The sources mentioned that in the Vatican’s opinion, efforts should focus on shielding the region from sectarian strife especially in Lebanon.
The sources told Al-Hayat that the Vatican is considering sending an envoy to Lebanon next month to take stock of the situation and to make sure that is shielded from the incidents sweeping the Arab World. The sources stressed that the Vatican is right now studying the possibility of holding a Christian conference for all Christian spiritual leaderships and the Muslim spiritual leaderships will be asked to participate as observers.