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 Islamic State has handed member of the Muslim Scholars Association Sheikh Wissam al-Masri a video depicting gunmen pressing knives against the necks of three Lebanese soldiers, with one of the gunmen speaking in French and addressing “France’s allies in Lebanon: former PM Saad Hariri, Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea and head of the Progressive Socialist Party MP Walid Jumblatt.”
“The Islamic State is currently in a state of war with Hezbollah, which has been meddling in the affairs of the Muslims in Syria and killing our women and children. You are definitely criminals, but today you have added new crimes to your resume, when you cooperated with Hezbollah and turned the Lebanese army into a puppet in the hands of the Shiite party. You are to be held responsible for the fate of the hostages, whether they live or die,” the gunman said in the video.
A secret report published by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was provided by WikiLeaks to Al-Akhbar newspaper. The report is an analysis on the use of High-Value Targeting (HVT), or in other words, the capture and killing of important enemy military targets for the United States.
The 18-page study titled, “Making High-Value Targeting Operations an Effective Counterinsurgency Tool,” and distributed on June 7, 2009, is labeled as the second-highest classified categorization, meaning that it is considered a serious threat to US national security if leaked.
The study includes an overall assessment of the use of HVT, by reviewing current and historical case studies, as well as the logic within the American intelligence organization of programs involving assassination, kidnapping, and other tactics and strategies used to eliminate military opponents.
In terms of the CIA's own assessment of these case studies is the admission that the least successful HVT operations are carried out in countries that the US and its ally Israel have occupied or are currently at war with. Israel, in particular, scored the lowest, with its HVT program labeled as “limited” in its contribution of a “counter-insurgency success.”
Al-Joumhouria daily quoted sources as saying that Speaker Nabih Berri has been awaiting the return of Future Movement officials from their visit to Riyadh where they met with former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, to hold the first dialogue session.
In this context, Berri said that the agenda of dialogue is open for discussion, in order to satisfy both parties.
He pointed out that the issue of the oil and gas sector in Lebanon will be among the priorities, noting that he is conducting calls and internal consultations in a bid to bring this file to safe harbor.
Prime Minister Tammam Salam stressed during Thursday’s cabinet session that the ministerial committee tasked with dealing with the issue of the abducted soldiers will pursue its efforts, adding that the difficult and complicated negotiations are moving at a slow pace.
In this regard, Salam said that the abductors are not handling the issue very seriously and are continuously changing their demands; ministerial sources told al-Mustaqbal daily.