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.
As-Safir Daily reported that the Lebanese Armed Forces Command called on Prime Minister Tammam Salam to take a clear and decisive political decision to protect the military institution.
The LAF added that this matter must be finalized during the first cabinet session to be held after receiving the Parliament’s confidence.
Damascus Leaks website, which was made public by NGO Masarat, have published documents stating that a number of Lebanese detainees are held in Syrian jails, and that four of them were executed by the Syrian regime. Other documents revealed that Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah sent a letter to Israel via Russia, whereby he discussed the situation at the Lebanese borders.
Accordingly,
an-Nahar Newspaper raised question marks concerning the validity of these documents and their source, and discussed them in an interview with the director of Masarat Louay al-Meqdad.
“These documents are the result of a two-year security operation, in which military men and civilians who defected from the regime, participated, while other documents have been leaked from Teheran or Beirut,” al-Meqdad explained.
He added that the validity of these documents is unquestionable, noting that the Syrian regime and its allies cannot deny any detail, since they include names, dates and facts that cannot be fabricated, as well as official reports.
Regarding the documents concerning Lebanon, al-Meqdad revealed that his institution will publish next week a letter sent from a security official to the Syrian President Bashar Assad, which reveals the involvement of the head of Change and Reform bloc MP Michel Aoun in the case of the Lebanese detainees in Syrian jails.
In this regard, the newspaper received documents including 22 names of Lebanese nationals who were detained following the outbreak of the Syrian revolution in 2011.
Well-informed diplomatic sources stressed that Washington is not supporting a particular candidate in the presidential elections, but it supports the constitutional operation that must be conducted in a just and transparent manner.
In a statement to an-Nahar Daily, the sources noted that the United States hoped that the elections will be held according to their constitutional schedule, stressing the need to avoid presidential void, especially amid the current critical situation.
The sources added that the US stressed that “Lebanon needs a strong president, who will be able to reach agreement between all the Lebanese factions,” denying reports stating that the US ambassador to Lebanon David Hale had visited Saudi Arabia recently.
President Michel Sleiman stressed that he will hand over his duties to the newly elected president as a sign of commitment to the constitutional schedules and the well-being of the institutions.
In a statement to al-Joumhouria Daily, Sleiman expressed fear that the country may fall into void, noting however that the formation of the cabinet, the agreement over the policy statement and setting a date for the national dialogue session contribute to building a positive vision toward the presidential elections.
Commenting on reports accusing him of violating his oath, Sleiman stressed that he has committed to his oath regarding the resistance, pointing out that “those launching these accusations are the ones who violated the limits set for the resistance by heading to Syria and participating in the battles there.
“You agreed on the Baabda Declaration, then you violated it. Will fighting in Syria protect Lebanon?” the president asked.
Accordingly, Sleiman urged Hezbollah to withdraw its forces from Syria, stressing that engaging in the Syrian war have had severe repercussions on Lebanon.