Press Digest for Saturday August 17, 2013

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.

• MP Aoun: Al-Qaeda affiliated groups are in Lebanon            

Change and Reform Bloc Leader MP Michel Aoun reiterated on Saturday his rejection to Hezbollah’s participation in the Syrian crisis alongside the Syrian regime in the Al-Qusayr battle adding that the party’s participation is an initiative related to Hezbollah.                          

Aoun told Al-Hayat newspaper that some political parties exerted efforts to prevent him from visiting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2006, adding that there aren’t any disputes with Saudi authorities.                  

On another note, MP Aoun said that the Al-Qaeda group is present in Lebanon; however, under different names.                  

• Judges brief Mikati on investigation in the Roueis explosion                                 

Sources told AL-Joumhouria newspaper on Saturday that caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s meeting with acting prosecutor Judge Samir Hammoud and Mount Lebanon Prosecutor Judge Claude Karam aimed at briefing Mikati on investigations in the Roueis explosion and talks held with security officials and caretaker Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi in this regard.                       

The sources added that the judges discussed with Mikati the work mechanism that will commence as soon as judicial information is available.

• Minister Abou Faour, Taymour Jumblatt end their visit to the Saudi Kingdom             

Al-Joumhouria newspaper said on Saturday that caretaker Social Affairs Minister Wael Abou Faour along with the son of the National Struggle Front Leader MP Walid Jumblatt, Taymour Jumblatt have ended their visit to Saudi Arabia, and will be arriving today to Beirut.              

The sources added that meetings with Saudi officials were not held before Thursday evening, stressing that information regarding these meeting was not reported.                            

• Soueid: Sayyed Nasrallah’s speech is not realistic               

March 14 General Secretariat Coordinator former MP Fares Soueid called Saturday on Lebanese citizens to unite and cooperate in light of the critical situation that the country is passing through, adding that the Roueis explosion did not target Beirut Southern Suburbs only, but also the entire Lebanese nation.
                    
Soueid told the Kuwaiti newspaper As-Seyassah that Hezbollah should refrain from expanding its security complexes, adding that the speech of Hezbollah’s Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah is not realistic.