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.
A security meeting was held yesterday (Monday) at the Baabda
Palace in the presence of the security apparatuses' leaders with talks
featuring high on the general situation as well as the means to improve coordination
between the Information Bureau and the Intelligence Bureau.
Well-informed sources told
Al-Joumhouria daily that
President Michel Sleiman was adamant on laying the foundations of cooperation
and coordination between all security apparatuses, stressing that cooperation
has yielded successful results.
President Sleiman praised the "positive" outcome
of the Supreme Defense Council's meetings and hailed the achievements of
security bodies which thwarted numerous security breaches, the sources said.
The General Security head Major General Abbas Ibrahim hoped
on Tuesday the two abducted bishops, Boulos Yaziji and Youhanna Ibrahim will be
released the soonest possible, noting that he has vowed to release them and to
reopen the file of the Lebanese nationals who are missing or arrested in Syrian
jails.
Major General Ibrahim stressed to
As-Safir newspaper that he
has been tasked with this mission upon the directives of President Michel
Sleiman and caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel.
He also said the latest achievement falls in the interest of
all Lebanese citizens, adding that "everyone should be proud of the Lebanese
state".
Deputy Speaker Farid Makari praised Saudi Arabia’s decision to reject a seat at the
United Nations Security Council as a "courageous stance" that
voiced the Kingdom's discontent with the UN's "complacency" in regards to
several cases in the Arab world.
Separately, Makari told the
Kuwait-based
Al Anbaa daily that President Michel Sleiman is fully assuming his
national duties, noting that he will not leave office before the formation of a
new government or even in light of the caretaker cabinet.
In this regard, Makati did
not rule out the potential extension of Sleiman's term amid the stalled cabinet
formation process, noting that "the extension is better than slipping into
a presidential vacuum".
Future bloc MP Ammar Houry told
Al-Liwaa newspaper on Tuesday that "Hezbollah is still hurdling the
formation of a new government," noting that "the stances of Loyalty
to the Resistance Bloc MP Mohamad Raad highlight the deep divisions in the
country".
"The March 14 coalition
urges President Michel Sleiman and Prime Minister-Designate Tammam Salam to
form a new cabinet the soonest possible in order to address several outstanding issues," MP Houry said.