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U.N. Security
Council mulls passing resolution to condemn Syria
Al-Hayat daily quoted
diplomatic sources Wednesday as saying that the five member states of the U.N.
Security Council held an ambassador level meeting on Monday in a bid to pass a
resolution to condemn Syria.
“Member states are
determined to pass a resolution despite differences in their positions”,
diplomatic sources said, adding Russia drastically opposes imposing an arms
embargo on Syria.
“Western countries are
adamant to carry on negotiations”, sources said, adding Security Council is
likely to hold consecutive meetings within the upcoming days as Russia showed
willingness to engage in negotiations.
- Sleiman, Mikati,
Berri and Jumblatt close ranks
Al-Anbaa daily quoted an
Opposition MP Wednesday as saying that President Michel Sleiman, PM Najib
Mikati, Speaker Nabih Berri and MP Walid Jumblatt are closing ranks, while
Change and Reform Bloc MP Michel Aoun’s positions echo Hezbollah and the Syrian
Regime’s.
“Aoun is capable of delivering
booming speeches, sowing terror, and sabotaging the institutions’ work.
However, his words are only limited to threats to bring down the government,
unless he is asked to pull the trigger and collapse the government”, the MP
said, adding the government’s fate rests with the Syrian regime and Hezbollah.
“Aoun does not have the
guts to mess with the governmental structure unless he is given the green light
to do so”, opposition MP said, adding Aoun will not fail to meet his allies
‘demands amid this delicate phase and strategic circumstances.
- Bassil inked
preliminary deals with Iranian companies
Al-Anbaa daily quoted
opposition sources Wednesday as saying that Energy Minister Gebran Bassil is
pushing the Cabinet to his electricity plan because of preliminary deals that
he made with Iranian companies during his recent visit to Teheran. Sources
claimed conditions set forth in Bassil’s plan were written in line with these
companies’ demands, adding that their records reflect flaws at the technical
level.
Bassil, Aoun’s son-in-law,
has forwarded a draft law that would allow him to have access to $ 1.2 billion
to build power plants, increasing Lebanon’s electricity production by 700 MW.
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U.S. and Western
policies threatens regional political leaderships
Al-Anbaa daily quoted
Development and Liberation Bloc MP Qassem Hachem Wednesday as saying that the
U.S. and Western policies threatens all regional political leaderships as well
as the stability and security of the region in a bid to preserve Israel’s
stability.
“Former PM Saad Hariri’s
presence abroad aims at deluding the world public opinion by accusing Syria of
exercising political terrorism and claiming himself one of its major victims”,
Hachem said, adding the political divisions over national issues are fueling a
potential sectarian strife that the current government is seeking to thwart.
Hachem urged the Future
Movement not to involve the military institutions in their political statements
and to cease their slanderous campaigns that put in question the role of the
Lebanese Army Forces (LAF), adding Hariri’s “barricading” himself through the
European positions to target the Resistance and Syrian regime will not bring
him back to power, yet will lead the country to deadlock.
During a news conference last
week, Daher likened the army intelligence to a group of shabbiha (armed gangs)
working with to the Syrian regime and operating under Hezbollah’s orders.
- Israel threatened
in South
Al-Rai Kuwaiti newspaper
quoted the head of the Israeli Defense Ministry's Diplomatic-Security Bureau
Amos Gilad as saying that according to well-founded intelligence information, threats
are pouring in about possible attacks against Israeli positions in Eilat, south
Israel, adding failure to deal with these threats will result in disastrous
consequences.