Press Digest for Sunday September 01, 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.

• Text of US assessment on Syrian regime's use of chemical weapons            

An-Nahar newspaper has published the text of US assessment on the Syrian government’s use of chemical weapons on the 21st of August 2013. The text includes a non-confidential summary of the US Intelligence's analysis on Syria's incidents.           

This as "the US administration assessed with high confidence that the Syrian government carried out a chemical weapons attack in the Damascus suburbs on August 21, 2013," noting that the regime used a nerve agent in the attack.            

The aforementioned assessments are based on human, signals, and geospatial intelligence as well as a significant number of reports.                

• LF leader Geagea to deliver a speech today                 

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea is expected to deliver a speech today (Sunday) to commemorate the “martyrs of the Lebanese resistance" during the annual celebration to be held at the Lebanese Forces headquarters in Maarab.           

In this regard, sources told An-Nahar daily that LF leader Geagea will tackle Hezbollah's policies and will warn against any attempt to compromise Lebanon's stability.                

• Arab foreign ministers to tackle developments of Syrian crisis               

The Arab foreign ministers are expected to hold a meeting on Syria today with talks featuring high on the repercussions of a potential US military strike, mainly on Syria and neighboring countries such as Jordan and Lebanon.           

Well-informed diplomatic sources told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that divisions among the United Nations Security Council, which had failed to reach consensus over a potential military intervention in Syria, are also present among the Arab states which have different standpoints.                 

The same sources added that the attendees are likely to issue a decision condemning in the strongest terms the "heinous" crime of using the chemical weapons which are banned under international law, noting that "such a crime is a blatant challenge to moral and human values as well as international laws".   
           

• MP Jumblatt calls on Lebanese parties to refrain from provocative rhetoric              

The National Struggle Front leader MP Walid Jumblatt urged the Lebanese parties to refrain from provocative rhetoric in light of the current circumstances Lebanon is going through.       

In this context, MP Jumblatt told An-Nahar daily that he had already voiced the aforementioned stance in his Friday's statement, adding that he called on all the parties to stop betting on radical changes to take place in Syria.