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 Sunday that until Saturday night, official and
political authorities did not receive any accurate information about the 11 Lebanese
detainees in Syria. Conflicting information about shelling the detention site
brought back the 11 hostages’ case into the spotlight.
According to recent reports, 2 of the 11 hostages have escaped after their
detention site was shelled by an armed group. The reports said that none of the
detainees was harmed during the attack and the captors succeeded in
transferring the 9 other detainees to a place controlled by the Syrian
opposition.
The daily added that Turkish authorities denied having any information confirming
such claims.
Al Hayat Daily reported on Sunday
that MP Walid Jumblatt was furious over PM Najib Mikati’s speech in which he claimed that it is not permissible to
politicize each and every administrative, security or judicial procedure conforming
to the laws.
Jumblatt considered that the Prime Minister has adopted the story of the ISF
General Directorate and decided on the issue, ignoring the objection voiced by Jumblatt’s
ministers as well as circulating information suggesting the presence of political
activists among the deported Syrian citizens.
National Struggle Front sources reported to the daily that Jumblatt called on his ministers to inform Mikati about
his firm position on the latter’s statements.
They shall ask him to clarify the matter and reconsider it or else the National
Struggle Front bloc will have to take further
measures especially that they no longer agree with Mikati’s policy and consider
it to be pro-Syrian regime.
LF leader Samir Geagea stated that he is discussing the national dialogue
issue with his 14 March allies on a daily basis.
In a statement to the Kuwaiti daily,
Rai,
Geagea revealed that the final and most adequate decision shall be announced a few
days before the new dialogue session.
Geagea said to the daily that Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah’s
statements on a national defense strategy are “nonsense”, stressing that 14
March will continue to oppose the cabinet’s policy in an attempt to correct its
course.
Geagea described the situation in Syria as “the final quarter before the
fall of the regime”. He expects that the fall of the Syrian regime will be in 4
or 5 months.
Iranian High Security Council Secretary General, Saiid Galilee, is visiting Beirut
on Monday to meet several Lebanese officials.
Relevant Sources refused in a statement to
Asharq Alawsat Daily to comment
on a probable meeting between Galilee and Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan
Nasrallah. The sources stressed that the visit of the Iranian official will be
short and that information suggests that the “main course” of Galilee’s talks
will be Syria.
The committee headed by Bishop Georges Abou Jaoude has almost finalized preparations
for Rai’s visit to Akkar. Patriarch Bechara Rai will be paying a 4-day-visit to
Akkar on August 13th.
According to
An-Nahar Daily, this pastoral visit will include more than 53
stops and several meetings. The visit aims at boosting the “exemplary” religious
coexistence in Akkar, in light of the current regional situation.