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 quoted
well-informed sources as fearing that the security danger zone would expand to
go beyond Beirut’s southern Suburbs amid circulating information that kidnap incidents
have reached Chweifat and Baalchmih. This reality would leave many parties and sectarian
forces in Al-Jabal in state of alert.
In this context, the sources
explained that contacts intensified in the last 48 hours between Ain al-tineh
and Mukhtara. These contacts were led by Minister Wael Abou Faour and aimed at
curtailing the kidnap circle.
As-Safir Daily reported that a
heated debate erupted during Thursday’s dialogue session between Future parliamentary
bloc leader Fouad Siniora and Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc head MP Mohammad
Raad.
In details, the verbal bout
erupted when Raad pointed out a conspiracy against the Resistance during the
2006 July war. However, President Michel Sleiman intervened to adjust the
course of dialogue.
During the session, Raad voiced
surprise over the state's failure to release the Lebanese hostages despite its
intensive contacts in this regard, adding that allegations that “the people are
being manipulated through a remote control” are baseless and irresponsible.
An-Nahar Daily quoted
The New York
Times as saying that “Washington and Jerusalem insist that Hezbollah is an
Iranian-backed terrorist organization with bloody hands, and that it is working
closely with Tehran to train, arm and finance the Syrian military’s lethal
repression of the uprising there. Yet, the European Union continues to treat it
foremost as a Lebanese political and social movement”.
According to the daily, “As
Israel heightens fears of a pre-emptive strike on Iran’s nuclear sites,
intelligence analysts warn that Iran and Hezbollah would respond with attacks
of their own on targets abroad. Israeli and American officials have attributed the Bulgarian bus bombing last month that killed six
people, including five Israeli tourists, to Hezbollah and Iran, saying it was
part of a clandestine offensive that has included plots in
Thailand, India, Cyprus and elsewhere”.
“There is no consensus among
the E.U. member states for putting Hezbollah in the terrorist-related list of
the organizations,” Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis, the foreign minister of Cyprus,
which holds the European Union’s rotating presidency, said at the time. “Should
there be tangible evidence of Hezbollah engaging in acts of terrorism, the E.U.
would consider listing the organization.”
An-Nahar Daily reported that
Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai has received several calls from high-ranking
official and security figures, asking him to speed up his Akkar visit given the
deteriorating security situation.
However, Rai insisted on
continuing his visit, which entered its fourth day, in line with the preset
program.
Syrian sources revealed to
Al-Akhbar Daily that an “armed gang with no affiliations” kidnapped Hassan
Mokdad, confirming that no Free Syrian Army brigade has yet adopted the
abduction.
The same sources reported that 3
groups affiliated with the FSA were tasked with searching for the gunmen
involved in the abduction.
According to information made
available to the daily, in order to carry out the operation, the Mokdad clan resorted
to pro-regime informers in order to identify Syrian opposition members.