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.
Al-Mustaqbal daily reported on Friday that
sources close to Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun said that Aoun is
working day and night to get ready for the upcoming elections, now aware that this
time, the Syrian regime that stood by him during the last elections, will not
support him as much. The sources added that he is seeking to consolidate his
alliance with Hezbollah since he is in dire need of Shiite voters in Jezzine,
Jbeil and Baabda. On the other hand, statistics showed that his situation in Kesrouan is
still reassuring and that he is still able to win the upcoming election round
in this Qada.
According to the same sources, Aoun is trying
to promote news on the deterioration of his electoral situation in Kesrouan
particularly, in order to allow himself to give up three of the current MPs,
most probably Nematallah Abi Nasr, Youssef Khalil and Gilberte Zouein.
The sources said that delegates from MP
Sleiman Frangieh and General Michel Aoun told Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai that
they were unwilling to run for the sub-elections that will take place in Koura
to elect a successor for late MP Farid Habib.
An-Nahar daily reported on Friday that the phone call made by
U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton to Lebanese PM Najib Mikati on Thursday
lasted about 15 minutes. Clinton told Mikati that her country is concerned with
the situation in Lebanon, praising the steps taken by the government to
maintain stability. Clinton also paid tribute to the LAF’s role and missions.
According to
An-Nahar, Mikati thanked Clinton for her
initiative and told her that he hopes her country can support the LAF. In
response, she stressed that the U.S. Administration is ready to provide further
assistance to the army.
Mikati called on Clinton to support the national dialogue “in
order for Lebanon not to be used as a platform or a buffer zone.”
For its part,
As-Safir daily reported that Mikati informed
the cabinet that the disassociation policy adopted by Lebanon has been very useful, adding that Clinton conveyed
to him Washington’s support to the national dialogue and the U.S. Administration’s
refusal to establish a buffer zone on the Lebanese-Syrian border. Clinton also
told him that Washington refuses any act that might sabotage Lebanon’s
security and stability.
Prime Minister Najib Mikati described Thursday’s cabinet
session as “productive and quick”, hoping that the same atmosphere prevails
over the upcoming sessions.
Mikati told
As-Safir daily on Friday that the ratification of
the 2012 treasury loan allowed the cabinet to overcome many procedural issues; “it
will reactivate projects and reflect positively on the national economy”,
he said.
Asked on the repeated accusations that he is arming groups in
Tripoli, Mikati said “this is totally unacceptable; yes I am arming the city’s
residents with knowledge and projects, I have never and will never endorse the
culture of weapons; I endorse the culture of peace, knowledge and mediation”.
Mikati said that the state, the government and him are the
main targets of any attempt to undermine Tripoli’s security and stability.
Al-Hayat daily
quoted Friday several sources that participated in the dialogue session as saying that
the dispute over Hezbollah weapons and the STL led to the postponement of these
two issues to the upcoming session.
According to the
newspaper, National Struggle Front leader MP Walid Jumblatt is betting on the
dialogue table’s ability to reach a formula to organize differences and pave
the way for the protection of Lebanon from the Syrian crisis’ repercussions.
According to
sources close to him, Jumblatt considers that there is no alternative for
dialogue to stifle the sectarian strife, adding that any escalation in Lebanon
will definitely lead to Shiite-Sunni strife.
Jumblatt said that
we cannot take away Hezbollah’s weapons by force, but through dialogue by re-discussing
Lebanon’s defense strategy provided that the party does not use these weapons internally
or use them as a means to bully a certain party; “their use must be limited to
facing Israeli threats”.
Jumblatt said
that he does not endorse the policy of cornering Hezbollah since then, “the
party will have to defend itself no matter the consequences”. He suggested giving
reassurances to Hezbollah by addressing its partisans with a new rhetoric devoid
of revenge and retaliation
On the situation of the government, Jumblatt
said that he is against the government’s resignation, adding that he would
re-name him as prime minister if the current government resigned.