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.
Well-informed sources told
as-Safir Daily that a number of
inmates in the Roumieh prison belong to the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front, noting that they are
planning and supervising terrorist attacks, as well as arms smuggling from Syria
to Lebanon through their contacts with other fundamentalist networks affiliated
with al-Qaeda. The sources stressed that there is evidence proving that these
groups possess large quantities of explosive materials that they will use to
break out of jail.
The newspaper added that the inmate Mohammad al-Arab who had
reportedly committed suicide last Sunday, did not kill himself, but was murdered by these extremist groups.
According to the sources, al-Arab was killed after he informed
the prison’s security personnel of an attempt to smuggle weapons from Akkar to Beirut
under the supervision of an inmate identified as Bilal A.
An-Nahar Newspaper reported
that a meeting was held on Wednesday evening between caretaker Prime Minister
Najib Mikati and the head of the National Struggle Front MP Walid Jumblatt away
from the media spotlight.
Sources close to the parties
said that the meeting comes within a series of regular meetings held between
the two officials where they discuss the local and regional developments as
well as the governmental situation.
Sources close to former
Prime Minister Saad Hariri said that the latter is maintaining a firm grip on his proposal to
form a neutral cabinet and hold national dialogue sessions.
The sources told
al-Hayat
Daily that the head of the Future Movement will remain committed to the Baabda
Declaration and Hezbollah’s withdrawal from Syria, stressing that a
presidential void can be avoided by reaching an agreement over a new President.
“Saudi Arabia is not
interfering in Lebanon’s internal affairs, especially in the issue of the
cabinet formation, but Iran and Syria are,” the sources quoted Hariri as
saying, adding that the campaign launched against Saudi Arabia is part of an Iranian
project implemented by Hezbollah.
Well-informed sources reported that the visit made by the Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Beshara Boutros Rai to President Michel Sleiman came amid the total
obstruction of the cabinet formation process, failure to offer assistance to
Lebanon to deal with the issue of the Syrian refugees and an increase in the gap
between the Lebanese factions due to the developments in Syria.
In a statement to
al-Joumhouria Daily, the sources added that Sleiman told Rai that he will start
launching practical initiatives in order to hold the presidential elections as
scheduled, calling on him to encourage the Christian parties to seek a cabinet
that respects the Baabda Declaration.
For his part, Patriarch Rai stressed the need to form a new
cabinet, calling on all the officials to assume their responsibilities in this regard.