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.
Director of the Internal Security Forces Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi told
Al-Joumhouria daily that the mission of securing and monitoring the border is the responsibility of both the Customs Services and the Lebanese Armed Forces.
“The ISF is supporting the LAF in the process of controlling the border, countering smuggling attempts and fighting entry of illegal immigrants”, Rifi said. Rifi stressed that the information branch did not have access to any data confirming that Al Qaeda militants entered Lebanese territories.
The newspaper quoted Rifi as saying: “The information branch is in constant coordination with the LAF Intelligence and providing it with all available information”.
As-Safir daily reported that the issue of national dialogue is purely a presidential request, adding that President Michel Sleiman has set dialogue as a key goal for the upcoming year. The local newspaper stressed that Sleiman is gearing up for the New Year by organizing a new round of dialogue that will invigorate the presidential palace before anything else.
The newspaper said that Sleiman is linking his call to resume national dialogue to his appeal addressed to all officials to abandon their narrow interests and turn over a new leaf filled with mutual understanding. As-Safir added that Sleiman considers that the Arab and regional turmoil prompts Lebanon to assume its responsibilities and avoid all bitter trials.
Sleiman’s visitors quoted him as saying that the future round of dialogue will focus on Lebanon’s national defense strategy and will deal with the issue of weapons from the perspective of removing Palestinian weapons outside refugee camps. The weapons’ resistance will also be discussed in a positive atmosphere and guarantee that the state as a whole will benefit from it. Many questions regarding the use of such weapons remain unanswered.
Sources close to Sleiman told the newspaper that the president met with the presidential team concerned with dialogue to determine which subjects were agreed upon by the national dialogue committee and which ones are still pending. The sources added that the team also discussed the reasons preventing the implementation of the consensual clauses regarding Palestinian weapons outside camps.
Sources added that Sleiman is awaiting the opportune moment to call for the resumption of dialogue sessions; this is why he intends to intensify his contacts and meetings to guarantee that such a call will be a success.
Presidential sources noted that up till now, different parties are still not seeing eye to eye on the issues to be tabled during dialogue sessions rather than on the importance of these sessions. The sources stressed that the events are unfolding at a rapid pace in the Arab World which should push different Lebanese parties to engage in a dialogue as soon as possible.
Member of the Future Movement's political bureau Mustafa Alloush told
As-Safir daily that the movement will submit a question to Speaker Nabih Berri who will hopefully transfer it to PM Najib Mikati regarding the accusation made by Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn to the village of Arsal.
“If we do not receive the right answer from the cabinet or Ghosn, our simple question will become a query and we will not hesitate to hold the defense minister accountable”, Alloush said.
The newspaper quoted Alloush as saying: “We do not consider that Arsal is targeted by the Marada movement because the village is Sunni-dominated, rather because its stance pertaining to the Syrian regime is well known. Even if the village were to be dominated by Shiites and opposing to the practices of the Assad regime, Arsal would also have been targeted.”
Speaker Nabih Berri told An-Nahar daily that one of the cabinet’s top priorities is to finalize the offshore wealth decree in order to take all needed measures. Berri stressed that the cornerstone of Al-Litani waterway project is expected to be laid very soon, adding that the offshore wealth will begin in March 2012.
Member of the Marada movement political contact committee Shadi Saad told
As-Safir daily that the campaign launched by the Future movement against Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn is based on instinctive and ill-found incitation. Saad warned that if such attempts continue and turn into a bid to hold Ghosn accountable, Ghosn will play a few cards that are not necessarily in favor of the inciters. The newspaper quoted Saad as saying: “We will use heavy weapons inside Parliament”.
Saad added that “it is only natural that a security apparatus such as the LAF Information Branch discloses exclusive information without the knowledge of another apparatus such as the ISF, or vice versa.” Saad stressed that such arrangements have been in forced before Ghosn assumed his post and will surely persist long after he will be gone.