Press Digest for Tuesday October 15, 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.

• LAF defuses car bomb in Beirut's Dahiyeh region -sources    

Security sources told As-Safir daily on Tuesday that a bomb was found late on Monday in a Jeep Cherokee parked in the Maamoura neighborhood of the South Beirut Dahiyeh region after a number of citizens reported the presence of a "suspicious" car.           

The same sources said Lebanese Armed Forces had cordoned off the area while specialists were brought in to defuse the bomb and remove the vehicle from the premises.          

"The bomb weighed at about 100 kg of explosives and if it had detonated, it would have caused a disaster," the sources added.              

• Failure of negotiations in Geneva could take a toll on Lebanon -sources          

Talks in Geneva are due to start today (Tuesday) between the P5+1 world powers and Iran to end the deadlock in a decade-old dispute over Iran's nuclear program.
       
In this regard, diplomatic sources told An-Nahar newspaper that "a potential failure of negotiations could lead to a military intervention and even to Western or an Israeli military strike against Iran".               

"The conflict could take a toll on Lebanon since Hezbollah is closely tied to Iran," the sources said, adding that "the Syrian and Iranian files have a direct impact on Lebanon".              

• Charbel lashes out at Lebanese state's inaction at Roumieh prison      

Caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel said prisoners in Roumieh are facing dire living conditions, noting that the prison lacks all kinds of health services.
          
Charbel also told An-Nahar daily that the main reason behind this situation is the widespread riots that broke out in 2011 when prisoners broke down the doors at the jail, and lashed out at the Lebanese state's inaction in this regard.            

Separately, Charbel said the car bomb that was defused late on Monday in Beirut's Dahiyeh region was loaded with all kinds of explosives, noting that huge amounts of explosive materials were hidden in the car mats, doors and wheels.           

• Rokenabadi says improved relations between Iran, neighboring countries to benefit Lebanon          

The Iranian ambassador to Lebanon Ghadanfar Rokenabadi said on Tuesday that "improved relations between Iran and neighboring Arab countries will benefit Lebanon".   

Rokenabadi also told Al-Joumhouria daily that "the security situation in Lebanon is way better than other countries," stressing that his country is willing to provide any kind of assistance in order to sow the seeds of understanding among the Lebanese citizens.