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.
Well-informed
sources reported on Thursday that President Michel Sleiman considers that the
Lebanese political parties should resume dialogue following the formation of
the new government, adding that he advised them to support the efforts exerted
by Prime Minister-Designate Tammam Salam.
In this
regard, the same sources told
An-Nahar daily that President Sleiman also called on
the said parties to avoid political outbidding in the cabinet's formation, highlighting the need to form a new government in order to meet the
people's demands.
Sources close
to Hezbollah told
Al-Joumhouria newspaper that the group has raised its state
of alert to the highest level, thwarting thus many attempts to destabilize
Lebanese regions.
The same sources
also mentioned that the road linking Sidon to Beirut is not shielded from
explosions, stressing that "Hezbollah will not remain silent in regards to all attempts
to target the group".
March 14 independent MP Boutros Harb
said that dialogue is paramount, noting that Lebanon will be jeopardized should
the Lebanese parties refuse to hold contacts among them.
In this context, MP Harb told
Al-Joumhouria daily that Hezbollah held dialogue only to impose its standpoint,
calling on the group to respect the dissociation policy and to withdraw from
Syria.
MP Harb also voiced his support to
President Michel Sleiman's call for dialogue, calling on him to summon
Hezbollah to discuss the group's willingness to abide by the
dialogue's outcome, before launching it.
Security sources reported that all the
southern regions, including Sarafand, are heavily populated by the Syrian
refugees who fled the long simmering crisis in neighboring Syria, noting that
they were received in Lebanon in solidarity with their tragedy.
The same sources added however that the
assassination of the Syrian political researcher Mohammed Darrar Jammo has
tightened the grip on the displaced Syrians, pointing out that yesterday's "crime"
indicates that the threat of "security war" is looming in Lebanon.
In this regard, the aforementioned
sources told
As-Safir daily that "the perpetrators may be Syrian nationals,"
noting that the assassination of Jammo was a well-organized operation.