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.
Al-Liwaa newspaper reported on Wednesday that General Security Chief Major
General Abbas Ibrahim headed on Tuesday to Syria’s Damascus where he followed
up on the case of the 2 kidnapped bishops Boulos
Yaziji and Yuhanna Ibrahim who were kidnapped by gunmen on Monday, April 22 and are still missing.
In this regard, caretaker Interior
Minister Marwan Charbel noted that the 2 bishops are in Aleppo’s suburbs,
expressing his hope that efforts exerted by Major General Ibrahim yield
fruitful results.
Meanwhile, Turkish sources told
Al-Liwaa that “Turkey does not have sufficient information pertaining to the
bishops and does not even know if they are still alive.”
The same sources added to the
newspaper that Ankara does not consider itself directly concerned with the mentioned file.
National
Struggle Front leader MP Walid Jumblatt criticized on Wednesday the latest statement
issued by the Future bloc, considering that the stance of former Prime Minister
Fouad Siniora regarding today’s legislative session as negative and discouraging.
MP Jumblatt
praised via
An-Nahar newspaper the positions of House Speaker Nabih Berri,
stating that “he is always keen on reaching consensus among Lebanese factions.”
In this
context,
An-Nahar noted that MP Jumblatt contacted Speaker Berri on Tuesday and
discussed with him today’s parliamentary session.
Al-Joumhouria
newspaper said that Change and Reform bloc MP Ibrahim Kanaan along with a
delegation from the parliament’s secretariat will visit on Wednesday House
Speaker Nabih Berri to proceed with discussions that aim at convening a General
Authority session.
The
newspaper added that the mentioned officials will later on hold talks with all
parliamentary blocs including the future bloc to reach common ground regarding the said session.
Qatar’s Foreign Affairs
Minister Khalid bin Mohammad Al-Attiyah expressed
his hope on Wednesday that the Syrian regime releases the detained female prisoners held in
Damascus in the upcoming few days, stating that the release of these women was part of the
Aazaz hostage deal.
Al-Attiyah told
al-Hayat newspaper that direct
contacts were not held between Qatar, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and
Hezbollah in regards to the negotiations, adding that General
Security Chief Major General Abbas Ibrahim held talks with Syrian officials and
Qatari officials who reportedly relayed the demands of the Syrian
rebels to General Ibrahim who in turn informed the Syrian regime about them.
On another note, Al-Attiyah called on Hezbollah to
end its interference in Syria, considering that this issue may ease sectarian
tension in the region and lead to a solution to the crisis.