Press Digest for Wednesday March 05, 2014

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.

• High ranking contacts fail to achieve "tangible results" over ministerial statement policy-sources

Sources told al-Joumhouria newspaper on Wednesday that high ranking contacts are being held with March 8 and March 14 camps to find a common ground over the ministerial policy statement.

Sources added that such contacts failed to achieve any "tangible results", adding that President Michel Sleiman will hold several meetings in this regard with delegations partaking in the meeting of the International Support Group for Lebanon in Paris.

According to the Daily, President Sleiman will also held meetings with the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry  to discuss the Lebanese pending issues, mainly the presidential elections.

• Hezbollah adamant on listing the Resistance in the ministerial policy statement-sources

Sources told al-Joumhouria newspaper on Wednesday that Hezbollah is adamant on listing the resistance in the ministerial policy statement.

Sources added that the armed party told Prime Minister Tammam Salam that it hopes that the newly formed cabinet would receive the parliament's vote of confidence in order to hold the presidential elections.

 Similarly, March 14 sources tolf the Daily that the March 14 camp disregarded the mentioning of Hezbollah withdrawal from Syria, as well as the Baabda Declaration in order to facilitate the drafting of the statement.

• Leader in the al-Nusra Front denies appointing Sheikh Assir as leader of the group

A leader in the al-Nusra Front told al-Akhbar newspaper on Wednesday that the armed group is capable of organizing "huge explosions" in Lebanon similar to the ones taking place in Iraq.

The leader, however, asserted that no decision is taken yet inside the armed group to carry out such attacks.

 He also noted that the members of the al-Nusra Front who were arrested by the security apparatuses in Lebanon are just "executive members" and not "the planners of the attacks."

As well, the leader denied media reports stating that the al-Nusra Front has appointed sheikh Ahmad al-Assir  as head of the terrorist  group in Lebanon.

• Interior Minister Mashnouq says adamant to dismantle the state established inside the Roumieh prison

Interior Minister Nouhad Mashnouq told As-Safir newspaper on Wednesday that he established a plan to resolve the situation at the Roumieh prison and to improve the conditions of the inmates.

Minister Mashnouq added that he  will "dismantle the state that was established inside the prison," noting that he refuses any protection granted to the inmates from any sides.

According to the Daily, Mashnouq is set to request a financial aid during the upcoming meeting of the Arab Interior Ministers set to be held in Morocco in order to resolve the crisis in Roumieh facility.