Press Digest for Tuesday December 17, 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. 

• Delegation from Future movement to meet with Syrian opposition in Ankara

Al-Joumhouria Daily reported that a delegation from the future Movement left Beirut on Monday heading to Ankara, in order to meet with a number of Turkish officials as well as Syrian opposition officials.    

The daily added that the Future Movement’s Secretary General Ahmad Hariri and MP Jamal al-Jarrah are among the delegation’s members.    

• One of the gunmen who attacked LAF in Sidon and Majdelyoun has a Gulf nationality - Sources

As-Safir Daily quoted a well-informed security source as saying that one of the perpetrators of the attack against the Lebanese Armed Forces in Sidon and Majdelyoun has a Gulf nationality, and is said to be affiliated with al-Qaeda organization, noting that he was killed when other gunmen attempted to facilitate his infiltration into Ain al-Helweh refugee camp.    

This as security sources said that the gunmen who attacked al-Awali army checkpoint may have been attempting to infiltrate into Ain al-Helweh camp in Sidon.  

• Ban: Failure to form new cabinet in Lebanon complicates the situation   

An-Nahar Daily cited the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon as saying that the failure to form a cabinet in Lebanon makes it difficult to deal with the tragic humanitarian issue imposed by the influx of Syrian refugees into the country.    

During a press conference held at the UN headquarters in New York, Ban said that he is discussing, with world leaders, the possibility of offering humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people, noting that 2.3 million people have become refugees in several neighboring countries.    

In this context, the secretary general stressed that the situation in Lebanon has become very complicated, due to the failure to form a new government and the burden of the humanitarian situation.    

Ban added that he is discussing these issues with President Michel Sleiman and the caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati.          

• No reports of Israel’s willingness to launch an attack against Lebanon – Sources 

An-Nahar Newspaper quoted security sources as confirming that there are no reports of Israel’s readiness to launch a major attack against Lebanon for several reasons.    

The sources explained that any Israeli attack against South Lebanon will receive a response from the Lebanese army and Hezbollah that has a large weapons arsenal, adding that any confrontation with the Shiite party requires an approval from the United States.    

In this context, the sources noted that the US President Barack Obama will not approve such attack, “since he is seeking to prevent his country from entering armed conflicts that harm the US interest.”