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.
Minister of of the Displaced Alaa Al-Din Terro refused
to give the media frenzy that overshadowed the meeting that took place between PSP MP Walid Jumblatt and former PM Saad Hariri any attention, stating that it was nothing out of the ordinary. While offering
their condolences to the family of late Crown Prince Nayef Bin Abdulaziz, the two leaders shook hands, stirring media attention in the direction of ulterior motives. Outlets reported that the meeting had political
and electoral dimensions.
Terro confirmed to
Al-Liwaa daily on Thursday that ties
with the Future bloc were never broken despite the different points of view on
internal political issues., stressing that the Progressive Socialist Party
is keen on communicating with all parties, adding that it is way too soon to
talk about electoral alliances.
For his part, Minister of Social Affairs Wael
Abou Faour asked: Why did the handshaking between Hariri and Jumblatt
cause such a stir? Is it now forbidden for the Lebanese to shake hands?
Abou Faour stressed that there was no
personal enmity with Hariri, adding that past experiences proved that despite
their differences, the Lebanese are able to overcome disputes to achieve a
national reconciliation.
In response, a Future parliamentary source from
the delegation that participated in the condolences, called on all parties to
take this meeting as simple as it was, stressing that there is no quarrel or enmity
between the Future movement and the PSP, “only a difference in points of view on
some national issues”.
As-Safir daily reported on Thursday
that while the Syrian crisis is being gradually internationalized, Bkerke did
not change its convictions regarding its possible repercussions on Christians
in Lebanon and the region. This as the March 14 coalition did not mitigate its
objections from the Maronite Patriarch’s approach to the Syrian crisis.
According to the same newspaper, it is confirmed that Christian opposition figures put “accusatory”
reports against Maronite Patriach Beshara Rai on the table of the Papal embassy, calling for his dismissal due to “his biased
positions that do benefit Christians in the region”.
The newspaper added that a March 14
delegation will soon meet Rai to hand him a document including a comprehensive
report on the approach to be adopted towards the Maronite Patriarchate. The document includes
general grounds and the role that Bkerke is supposed to play to change its "biased" image.
As-Safir reported that in the past
few weeks, several meetings were held between the members of the committee to
complete the above-mentioned document; the committee includes Kataeb leader
Amine Gemayel, Boutros Harb, Setrida Geagea, Elie Keyrouz, Dori Chamoun, Nayla
Mouawad, Fares Souaid and Sheikh Michel Khoury.
Al-Liwaa daily quoted well-informed sources at the U.S. Department of Defense
as saying that the U.S. will soon hand Lebanon a batch of armored personnel
carriers as military assistance.
The sources said 200 armored personnel carriers are expected to be handed
to the LAF in the next few weeks, amid international keenness to provide
the LAF with sufficient support to enable it to maintain security and stability
in the country.
The sources did not rule out that the security incidents that shook the
North and refugee camps jolted the U.S. Administration in to a rush to take this decision, after a period of hesitation that delayed the program agreed upon
between Yarzeh and the Pentagon.
An-Nahar daily reported on Thursday that a common stance for House Speaker
Nabih Berri and Hezbollah emerged on the road cuts held in protest of blackouts with Berri stressing that efforts are being exerted to prevent such techniques. He added that he has been contacting concerned parties
to solve this problem.
According to well-informed sources, Amal Movement and Hezbollah felt the
gravity of these continuous road cuts, with significance to the airport road. Consequently religious authorities
issued a Fatwa banning this phenomenon, to be imposed on all civil
bodies and municipalities. The sources stressed that this step became effective as of Wednesday.