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.
Ministerial sources told
As-Safir Daily on Thursday that Prime Minister Najib Mikati informed the cabinet
that if the government remains as “unproductive” as it is, he will act
accordingly, hinting at the resignation option.
The newspaper explained
that during the cabinet session, participants reiterated that the government cannot
keep the same security performance; “it must impose the law and lift the political
cover off violators".
Al-Liwaa Daily reported on Thursday that the March 14 coalition
is holding contacts and meetings away from the spotlight, to decide on whether
to continue participating in the national dialogue sessions or not. The Daily
added that a crucial decision might be taken in the next few days.
The newspaper added that the Kataeb party is still adamant on maintaining dialogue which is “irreplaceable to immunize the domestic scene
amid regional turmoil”.
On the other hand, the Future
movement now shares the point of view of the Lebanese Forces regarding the boycott
of the national dialogue, “but has not yet taken a final decision”, the Daily
added.
A Syrian official source denied that Syrian President Bashar
Assad made any of the statements circulating via social media websites.
In response to rumors stipulating that he left the Syrian
capital, the source told
As-Safir Daily on Thursday that Assad is in his office
in Damascus, working as usual.
The sources said that the explosion most probably targeted the
security meeting held yesterday in Damascus using a small explosive device
planted in the meetings room, and not through a suicide bomber. The sources
stressed that the head of the national security office Hisham Bekhtyar and
Interior Minister Mohamed al-Chaar are in a stable condition, adding that
Colonel Hafez Makhlouf had nothing to do with the meeting.
Prominent
political sources told
Al-Joumhouria Daily on Thursday that defected Syrian
Brigadier General Manaf Tlass was in Beirut with a group of Lebanese and Syrian
friends about two months ago. The sources added that he went to Beirut’s
southern suburbs and met with officers from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard to
brief them on the latest field developments in Syria.
The sources
said that through these officers, the Iranian leadership coordinated Tlass’
departure from Syria under the consent of President Bashar Assad.
The sources
revealed that during these meetings and in coordination with Assad, Tlass handed
the Iranians “very important military maps” identifying the places of strategic
weapons including cruise missiles that are said to be equipped with chemical
warheads made in Russia and Korea.
“This shows that the Syrian regime is at
stake and its survival will be decided by Russia or China in the next few weeks”,
the sources added.