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.
A Lebanese official close to the Syrian
regime quoted a high-ranking Syrian official as saying that the stance of President
Sleiman regarding the case of former Minister Michel Samaha is an “offensive
act that has the same effect as the attacks carried out by terrorist groups in Syria”.
It is noteworthy that Sleiman announced that he was waiting for a phone call
from Syrian President Bashar Assad regarding the above-mentioned case.
The Syrian official told
As-Safir Daily on Tuesday that
Damascus has grown accustomed to President Sleiman's behavior since the beginning of the crisis; “he
is a preacher who preaches at the wrong time, and a spokesman for the U.S., France,
Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey and all of Syria’s enemies".
“Damascus considers that the way President Sleiman dealt with
Samaha’s case shows that he accuses Syria directly; this means that he already
took a decision to exert a diplomatic boycott, thus there is no need for any phone
calls or explanations regarding this case or any other case”, the official
said.
The official said that if Sleiman was seriously waiting for a
phone call from Assad, “let him wait longer”.
- Activists in the Free Patriotic Movement are pressuring Aoun
Al-Akhbar Daily reported on Tuesday that some activists in
the Free Patriotic Movement are seriously pressuring the head of the Change and
Reform bloc General Michel Sleiman to resume discussions over administrative
appointments during the cabinet session. They considered that if this
government does not complete the appointments, it would be a major failure for the FPM given that
appointments are what encouraged the movement to participate in the
government in the first place.
A high-level political source from the Future bloc told
Al-Akhbar Daily on Tuesday that MP Mouin Merhebi received a direct order from
former PM Saad Hariri to stop attacking the military institution and the LAF
Command, asking him to remain silent until the lawsuit requiring the lifting of
his parliamentary immunity is settled.
This came at a time when the Future movement’s officials were
visiting LAF Commander Jean Kahwaji, led by the movement’s Secretary General
Ahmad al-Hariri.
Sources close to Prime Minister Najib Mikati told
As-Safir
Daily on Tuesday that the PM informed all security leaders that he did not and will
not cover any security violator, adding “even if my own son breaches security
in Tripoli, I will not cover him”.
The sources added that Mikati is very satisfied with the
efforts exerted by MP Mohammad Kabbara and the fast initiatives made to stop
the “absurd fighting” and prepare for a final ceasefire agreement.
For his part, MP Kabbara told
As-Safir that everyone announced
their commitment to ceasefire, adding that all parties were informed that as of
Sunday, anyone that fires a bullet or violates security will be subject to an
arrest warrant and will find no one to cover him.
Kabbara pointed out that he will follow up with PM Mikati on
the compensations for the material and non-material damage in Tripoli, in
addition to the plan to develop these deprived regions using the 100 million
dollars approved by the cabinet for Tripoli.