Press Digest for Sunday April 29, 2012

3^min

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.

Siniora and Geagea spend 2 hours coordinating in Maarab

An-Nahar daily learned that the Head of the Future bloc Fouad Siniora visited Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea in his Maarab residence on Friday night to hold a two-hour-meeting followed by a dinner banquet.

According to the newspaper, Siniora made sure to pay Geagea the visit after the crowds stopped pouring into Maarab, following the assassination attempt against Geagea on April 4. Geagea accompanied Siniora to the “crime scene” to check the residues of the bullet shot from a distance.

Sources close to the LF stressed that the meeting was excellent on all levels, adding that Siniora and former PM Saad Hariri maintain contact on a daily basis. The sources revealed that conversations were naturally centered on the Arab revolution especially developments in Syria and their heavy toll on Lebanon. The two men also discussed the current cabinet, emphasizing the need to produce a new technocrat impartial government able to supervise parliamentary elections, look into the best fitting parliamentary law that will suit the need of all Lebanese and examine the issue of illegal weapons.

FSA Deputy Commander: The Syrian opposition has the right to be armed

Deputy Commander-in-chief of the Free Syrian Army General Malik al-Kurdi refused to comment on statements saying that the weapons and ammunition shipment that was confiscated on board of Lutfallah 2 cargo ship belonged to the Syrian opposition. Al-Kurdi told Acharq al Awsat daily that the opposition has the right to arm itself to face the daily killing, in light of the international community’s silence over the regime’s crimes.

He said that until now, the Syrian opposition or the Free Syrian Army has yet to receive weapons from anyone, adding that the promises made by Arab states are mere sedatives.

Al-Kurdi added that they [Syrian opposition and Free Syrian Army] are not ashamed to ask for weapons from countries that are friends of the Syrian people.