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.
An-Nahar Daily
reported that the next dialogue session will be held in Beiteddine Palace,
the official summer residence of the President.
According to the
daily, Speaker Nabih Berri, who informed the President of his willingness to
participate in the dialogue, is the one encouraging him to postpone it.
Presidential
sources noted that Sleiman will do everything in his power to save the dialogue
committee, this is why he accepted to postpone the session till August 16th,
for further discussions. The sources said that the postponement will give the
officials time to reflect on their national duties and the importance of the
dialogue.
The Arab League Secretary General Nabil al-Arabi said that the call of Arab
foreign ministers on Syrian President Bashar Assad to step down is very
important.
In an interview with
Al-Hayat newspaper following the Arab ministerial
committee meeting in Doha, al-Arabi said
that “we cannot speak of political reform, we aim for power transition”. He stressed
the necessity to end violence and release the detainees, calling on the Syrian
opposition to unite and form a transitional government.
Former minister Wiam Wahhab revealed an assassination
attempt that was supposed to target him in Syria
In an interview with
al-Akhbar daily, Wahhab explained that
there is a Lebanese national who was paid a certain amount of money to perform
an assassination operation, by shooting on Wahhab’s convoy inside the Syrian
territory, to divert suspicions away from Lebanese figures. He noted that the suspect is
detained, and has confessed that he received money from a Lebanese party to
carry out this operation, pointing that the party is not the Future movement.
Wahhab stressed that he will hand over all the evidence available with him to
the Lebanese security apparatuses.
For its part, security sources told
al-Akhbar newspaper that
Wahhab informed some parties that the detainee has confessed that an official
from the Progressive Socialist Party hired him to assassinate Wahhab in Syria.
Sources close to former Prime
Minister Saad Hariri stressed that if Houssam Houssam had any useful information;
he should present it to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. The sources told
Acharq al-Awsat daily that Hariri is not intending to negotiate with Houssam.
Economy Minister Nicolas
Nahhas said that the ministerial committee began serious discussions to
study a new pay scale, and is intending to do what is
necessary, without having to resort to pressure, threats and strikes.
In an interview with
al-Joumhouria Daily, Nahhas stressed that the committee will do everything in its power, within the capabilities of the Lebanese government, noting that the
country is exposed to big challenges.
The minister said that there
are no clear numbers so far as to the estimated cost of the new scale, noting
that the first phase of wage adjustment exceeded one billion LBP, while the
second phase will exceed 2 billion.
Nahhas expected that the
issue will be closed before the end of August.