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 political and media
adviser to the Syrian President Bachar Assad Buthaina Shaaban is making an
unannounced visit to Moscow. During the visit Shaaban is expected Russian officials.
Shaaban’s visit kicked off on Sunday and was not
officially announced.
Turkish sources told al-Joumhouria
newspaper that Russia is currently discussing some changes in the Syrian Regime
without completely replacing it, adding that the ongoing negotiations about
finding an alternative include the possibility of accepting a President other
than Assad. However, this possibility requires the persistence of other active
figures, distributed on many vital and strategic joints within the Syrian
regime, the army and the security apparatuses.
The same sources noted that this
suggestion could be accepted by the Iranian regime, for fear of losing all
power inside Syria with the loss of President Assad’s control on the events.
An-Nahar newspaper said that the relatives of the 11
Lebanese detained in Syria, who blocked the airport road on Monday, are intending
to hold a peaceful strike near the ESCWA headquarters in central Beirut. They are
also willing to present a memo to the UN Secretary General’s representative,
whereby they will ask for help in releasing the Lebanese hostages, detained
since May 22 in Syria.
As-Safir daily reported that
PM Najib Mikati is following up the details of the release decision with the
competent authorities, from Brazil. Mikati called for quickly finalizing the
other cases, in order to put an end to the tragedy of detainees’ relatives.
In this context, sources
close to Mikati told the daily that detainees committee’s demand is reightful
and that this issue has nothing to do with politics.
“These are oppressed, we
should stand by them in order to release the innocents”, the sources said.
Al-Joumhouria newspaper reported that the head of Change and
Reform bloc MP Michel Aoun, will be heading to Zahle on Friday evening to spend
a political week end. The visit will start with a dinner held in his honor by
the Bishop of Fourzol and Bekaa for Greek Orthodox Issam Hanna Darwish, in the presence
of bishops, priests and official figures, including former minister Elias Skaf
The daily noted that Aoun will meet on Saturday with FPM
cadres in Monte Alberto restaurant and he will hold another meeting, at the
same place, with officials from central Bekaa, where they will discuss the
situation in Lebanon.
Security sources confirmed
that members of the “Popular Front’s General Command” are responsible for incitements
against the army in Naher al-Bared, referring to the latest visit mad by the
Front’s leader Ahmad Jibril to Lebanon, followed by a visit to Damascus and
another to Tehran.
In an interview with
al-Mustaqbal daily, the same sources said that there is plan to distract the
army and reduce its presence in the Northern border region, allowing Assad’s
forces to promote their attacks on the region and its residents, under the
pretext of “chasing insurgents and terrorists”.