Press digest for Saturday 07-07-2012

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. 

• Security developments stand behind cabinet session

Al-Joumhouriya daily reported that the call for the cabinet to convene was not previously planned by PM Najib Mikati, President Michel Sleiman and FPM’s ministers; however, the call came due to security developments represented by the situation in Akkar and accusing the government of covering the assassinations by hiding the communications data.            

The daily noted that the Change and Reform ministers may boycott the session again, since there were no developments regarding the EDL contract workers issue.                   

• Military source: Army did notintervene in Abdel Wahed and Merheb’s investigations              

A security source said that the Army did intervene neither in the work of the judiciary nor in the investigations held with the officers in the case of murder of Sheikh Ahmad Abdel Wahed and Mohammad Hussein Merheb. The decision to release the officers was based on the data available with the judiciary.          

The source told As-Safir newspaper that the army would never engage in a confrontation with the people and would never fire at any citizen.                        

• Future Movement to army: wewill prevent any chaos in streets             

Political and security sources told al-Akhbar daily that the Future Movement confirmed to the Army that it will prevent any disorder from taking place in the streets, following yesterday’s events in Akkar.  On Friday, roads were blocked in Akkar to protest the release of the officers detained in the case of Abdel Wahed and Mohammd Merheb’s killings.           

In this context, official sources close to the Future movement said that the release of the officers should have been done “in batches”, noting that it would have eased the reactions in Akkar.                

• The Minister never refused to hand over communications data

Sources close to Minister Sehnaoui confirmed to an-Nahar daily that he told MP Harb on Thursday that he is ready to hand over the communications data, according to the rules set by the judiciary.                     

The sources noted that the minister never refused to hand over the data, all the problem was related to the “complete data” which the judiciary was refusing to give.           

• Daher holds Mikatiresponsible for repercussions of Sheikh Abdel Wahed’s murder                        

Future Movement MP Kahled al-Daher stressed that the release of the officers in the case of Sheikhs Ahmad Abdel Wahed and Mohammad Merheb is against all rules, norms and laws, noting that the case should have been transferred to the judicial council.             

Speaking to al-Mustaqbal daily, Daher held the cabinet responsible for all the repercussions resulting from the case, stressing that PM Najib Mikati is the main responsible because he refuses to discuss the transfer of the case to the judicial council, in the cabinet session.