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.
The Head of the National Struggle Front MP Walid Jumblatt told
An-Nahar daily that his meeting with Minister Ali Hassan Khalil and Hezbollah Secretary General political aide Hussein Khalil “was excellent”. Jumblatt stressed the need for all parties to dialogue and maintain contact, adding “exchange of points of view is required even if some differences exist”.
Jumblatt said that he discussed with the delegation several political issues, adding that light was shed on last week’s heated parliamentary debate. He depicted the debate as shameful and harmful to political relations, adding that the wisdom of Speaker Nabih Berri prevented the exacerbation of the situation.
Speaking on his visit to Saudi Arabia, Jumblatt said that he will not dwell on the subject since he already issued a statement in this regard.
Turning to the electoral proposal forwarded by Berri, the PSP leader said: “I would like to thank Speaker Berri for all his initiatives.”
In a televised statement made on Thursday, Jumblatt said that he refuses proportional representation no matter the proposal because he is directly targeted by this system.
An-Nahar daily reported that the Head of the Change and Reform bloc MP Michel Aoun voiced surprise over the stance taken by President Michel Sleiman for not utilizing his prerogatives in the 8.9 trillion LBP issue. Aoun said that this stance stems “from the president’s ignorance of the presidents and republics’ history.”
Aoun added that signing the decree will not be considered as a first; rather he would be using prerogatives granted to him by the constitution. “The president had better use his prerogatives so that people’s livelihoods, especially those who work in the public sector, does not become the prisoner of narrow political interests”, Aoun said.
An-Nahar daily reported that a senior security official poured water on his passport to destroy it and avoid using it once again.
In the details, the concerned official and his wife were in a European airport, when an employee took a look at his passport asking: “Why do you carry this passport with your name handwritten on it? This is internationally forbidden. How do you accept to travel with it? Why do you use in Lebanon such passports that harm diplomats of the world?”
Right then, the official showcased his regular passport that displays his military rank pushing the employee to salute him. The employee apologized immediately when he found out that the passport-holder occupies a high military rank in Lebanon.
Following his return to Beirut, he destroyed his passport and decided to use his regular one just like the rest of the Lebanese.
Al-Hayat daily received a statement from the family of the two Saudi citizens, Abdullah and Tufic al-Shakakik, who were kidnapped for eight days and blackmailed by a gang in Lebanon.
According to the statement, the two Saudi kidnapped denied reports by certain newspapers that claimed that they were lured by a girl, adding that the cab driver was the one who lured them with apartment at bargain prices. Afterwards, they were taken off guard when they entered the apartment and found a gang waiting for them. They were then kidnapped, tortured for 8 consecutive days, blackmailed and robbed of their belongings.
The statement stressed that the two kidnapped contacted their parents in Saudi Arabia asking them to send the required amount. After their repetitive phone calls, their parents felt that they were in danger and briefed the Saudi Embassy in Beirut.
The embassy played its part and investigated the situation in coordination with the Lebanese security forces after making sure that they were indeed kidnapped. The gang was ambushed, two of its members were captured and Abdullah as well as Tufic were freed.