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.
According
to As-Safir daily, the head of the National Struggle Front Walid Jumblatt said
that the priority now is to reestablish security and understanding on the local
political scene especially regarding Muslim-Muslim relations.
Jumblatt
added that these relations should be distanced from all political tensions and
prevent escalation that might lead to unbearable consequences.
On the
false witnesses issue Jumblatt said that since the Special Tribunal for Lebanon
is now funded it is time to focus on more issues that would strengthen internal
civil peace and understanding and to improve all factors that might positively
affect the country.
“I
understand Hezbollah’s reservations regarding the STL, but it should take into
consideration that the other political side has its own popular support and
demand the special tribunal to reveal a crime that affected them”, As-Safir
quoted Jumblatt as saying.
Judicial sources told Al-Akhbar newspaper
that what has been said about the killer of Myriam Ashkar being a member of the
Syrian intelligence forces is completely untrue.
The sources added that the perpetrator,
as all Syrian citizens, completed the mandatory military service before coming
to Lebanon but held a high rank thanks to his educational background.
Al-Akhbar reported that the arrested had
not spent a long time in Lebanon and used to work in the monastery for $800 per
month, a relatively high salary for Syrian workers in the country, adding that
the killer is a very smart person who assumed that the security forces would
not have any evidence against him thus he did not run away.
The judicial sources added that according
to all medical examinations on Myriam’s body it was proven that she was not
raped and managed to defend herself until she was stabbed in the neck and died
after severe bleeding.
Sources from Hezbollah told As-Safir that
the spying device planted on the Party’s telecommunication line was discovered
when a specialized team from the resistance was patrolling the area of Wadi
al-Ain between Srifa and Deir Kiffa after receiving suspicious signals from an
unknown source.
The sources added that the device was
targeted by a spy drone that launched a missile destroying it without causing
any casualties.
Al-Joumhouria newspaper reported that Assistant
Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman will soon be visiting
Beirut to convey a series of messages to Lebanese officials including the
necessity to avoid tensions on the southern border with Israel and ensure the
respect of international sanctions imposed on Syria.
Feltman will call on the Lebanese authorities to
be aware of potential attempts by Assad’s regime and the Syrian Central Bank
aiming at avoiding these sanctions.
He will also urge the Lebanese government
to cooperate with the Special Tribunal for Lebanon regarding the arrest
warrants issued against four suspects.
According to As-Safir newspaper, the founder of
the Salafi Movement in Lebanon Da'i al-Islam al-Shahal said that his movement
refused to participate in the Independence Festival in Tripoli amid high
tensions on the political scene, adding that PM Najib Mikati’s last statements
during a televised interview helped ease these tensions.
Al-Shahal emphasized that he is totally against
exploiting “the Sunni street” under any slogan to ignite a Sunni strife.
“It is necessary to crystalize new alliances on
the Sunni political scene in the upcoming period on all levels, touching on
some differences with Future Movement leadership which led to a freeze in
direct relations between both sides”, Al-Shahal told As-Safir.
The Salafi leader blamed former PM Saad Hariri
for his political behavior towards the Salafi Movement and the Sunnis during
his mandate, stressing that Hariri’s thirst to power weakened the Sunnis in
Lebanon for void political gains.