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
An-Nahar newspaper, the Minister of Health Ali Hassan Khalil mentioned that Lebanon is in need for a health care plan as the current situation became unbearable, adding that the current plan is being discussed with the concerned authorities and will be issued on the 15th of December to include all those who do not have an insurance policy or plan. Khalil mentioned that the plan presented will cover health care, routinely checkups, vaccines, psychological and physiological treatment, HIV and drug addicts as well as long medical treatments.
Khalil revealed that the health plan will be presented soon as a full policy to be discussed in the cabinet and the parliament as it needs an approval for the funding. To note that Khalil’s presented plan will require 1500 billion LBP.
Western diplomatic sources told
Al-Liwaa newspaper that the attack on the French UNIFIL contingents in Tyre in South Lebanon came as a response on France’s preparations to participate in the no fly zone that will be imposed on Syria. The sources added that France will have a primary role in the no fly zone especially on the logistic level as it will provide a full support to the participating forces through the French Naval Forces stationed in the Mediterranean Sea.
The French will be in charge of stopping all Syrian radars and missile launching systems and to provide protection to the foreign air patrols. The sources mentioned that France’s task would not be easy as providing support from the sea required high technological skills especially that France would not be granted any military base on the Syrian ground.
According to
As-Safir newspaper, the Free Patriotic Movement is still under the chock of the last cabinet meeting, adding that all the promises that the movement received from its allies after approving the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s funding was proven empty.
The newspaper added that the head of the FPM General Michel Aoun did not react as he was expected to no his movement did especially for boycotting the cabinet’s meeting and resigning from the government, although they believed that the way the wage adjustment issue was dealt with was shameful and disrespectful for the FPM.
Sources close to the Change and Reform parliamentarian bloc told the newspaper “we are trapped in the government, they are trying to hit our reform process and destroy our image among our supporters, but we will not allow that”.
“We need to discuss all pending issues with our allies especially Hezbollah and Amal movement, if our presence in their equation is not probable anymore we better create our own path “.
According to
An-Nahar newspaper, France has decided to reduce its participation in the UNIFIL in South Lebanon, adding that French Military commanders are discussing the required contingents’ numbers to participate in the peacekeeping forces before issuing an official statement to the United Nation’s headquarters in New York.
The French commanders will explain to the United Nations that France’s presence in South Lebanon is not in its strategic benefit amid the ongoing attacks on its forces. In this regard governmental sources told the newspaper that clear instruction were given to security forces to take drastic measures to prevent similar attacks in the future.
Al-Joumhouria newspaper revealed that the US President Barak Obama called on his Iraqi counterpart Nouri Maliki to play a vital role in growing pressure on the Syrian President Bashar Assad. “The Iraqi mediation with the Arab League and the Iraqi initiative should not try to reduce the pressures on Assad’s regime, unless it is to establish humanitarian corridors and buffer zones to help civilians”.
Maliki promised that Iraq would not ask for any additional deadline further than the one set on Saturday, adding that the Iraqi stance might change if its mediation between Syria and the Leagues fails.
In this regard sources close to the US Department of State reveled that it is unlikely that Damascus would change its stances regarding the Arab initiative, adding that the ongoing killings in Syria would lead to a greater clash between superpowers on the international political scene.