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 well-informed source
told
An-Nahar newspaper that following consultations, President Michel Sleiman
and PM Najib Mikati decided that Lebanon will continue to disassociate itself
from events in Syria and will refrain from participating in the Arab monitoring
mission charged with monitoring Syria’s implementation of the Arab League
protocol, a deal to end nine months of crackdown.
Minister of Economy Nicolas Nahas told
As-Safir newspaper that
the cabinet will continue working normally after the hubbub caused by the wage
adjustment issue. “All issues will be discussed at the right time”, he said
adding that everyone should know that this government is Najib Mikati’s
government, he heads it and nothing is passed without his consent and
signature.
Nahas added “They are accusing Mikati of playing solo and
not consulting anyone; did Labor Minister Charbel Nahas consult the
prime minister for his wage adjustment project before putting it on the table?
Nahas said that the majority confirmed its political
alliance inside the cabinet, wondering “Can the majority take action alone, regardless of the PM’s position?”
Al-Akhbar newspaper reported
that former PM Saad Hariri was warmly welcomed in Turkey, as he heard Turkish
officials make high-pitched statements against the Syrian regime and saying they
needed the “necessary cover” to fulfill their duty along their Southern border.
The newspaper added that
those who have met with Hariri lately say he is now a better manager; he has built
an experience in communication he would have never gotten had he stayed in
Beirut. Also according to a source to Hariri, the latter is recovering his
international and regional status; in other words, Hariri is treated abroad as
a Lebanese leader and a statesman, not as a party leader.
“His last visit to Ankara
confirms this, as many Turkish officials addressed him using the term “my
brother Saad”; this proves the depth of the relation, respect and friendliness
between both parties”, the source added.
A well-informed source said that
Turkish officials “pampered” Hariri who heard in Turkey what he never heard in
the KSA or France. “He left with his aides with an excessive self-confidence
they never had since he took power in Beirut in 2005”.
The Turks reviewed the past
phase, the phase of the Turkish-Saudi common initiative aimed to reach a political
consensus in Lebanon as well as the Saudi-Syrian initiative phase. They came
out with the following conclusion that boosted Hariri’s self-confidence: “Brother,
it turns out you were honest and absolutely right”.
Al-Akhbar newspaper said that ever since the cabinet issued the
wage adjustment bill, the project’s owner Labor Minister Charbel Nahas has been victim of the violent criticism of his colleague in the Change and Reform bloc,
Tourism Minister Fadi Abboud.
The newspaper added “Abboud’s criticism is tougher than the
criticism of Nahas’ opponents in the March 14 coalition”. This reflects Abboud’s
complete rejection of his colleague’s project to adjust wages, its logic,
numbers and calculating method.
According to the same daily, Abboud said “I do not know how
Nahas calculated the transportation allowance and set it at 236,000 LBP; he probably
forgot the workers’ annual leave”, adding “there is absolutely no economic
logic in this project; even junior economics students do not accept a theory
that doubles the minimum wage”.
The newspaper added that Abboud refuses to succumb to what
he called “Charbel Nahas’ terrorism”. “You cannot have a normal conversation with
him; every time you try to talk to him, he would scream in your face”, he said.
Arab diplomatic sources warned, through
Al-Rai Kuwaiti
newspaper, that an explosion may target a Lebanese church or the Lebanese regions celebrating
Christmas and New Year’s, in light of the cards the Syrian regime threatened
to use, more particularly, the Qaeda card that was used Friday in
the blast that targeted Kafarsouseh.