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 newspaper reported that the
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea will deliver a speech today evening at his
residence in Maarab, on the occasion of the “Martyrs of the Lebanese Resistance”
day, noting that the speech will include a reply to “the fallacies of the
Syrian regime and its allies in Lebanon”, and a call for “separating the regime
from the people in Syria”.
According to the daily, Geagea will
call on the cabinet to form a government crisis cell to follow up the case of
the Lebanese detained in Syrian jails.
Geagea will also call on the
Christians to bring back the reason of their presence in the East, demanding
the Lebanese people to vote for the “project of a state” in the upcoming
parliamentary elections.
- Fatfat: Releasing militants from March 8 an insult for the army and the judiciary
Future bloc MP Ahmad Fatfat said that
following the protest held by March 14 youth outside the Foreign Ministry
calling for the expulsion of the Syrian ambassador, the next stage will witness
escalation regarding this issue, without affecting stability and civil peace.
In an interview with
Al Seyassah al
Kuwaiti newspaper, Fatfat criticized the shameful decisions taken by the
Lebanese Judiciary due to political pressure, noting that Tripoli is calm again
following calls and contacts that led to a ceasefire. He said that the release
of Hezbollah’s Faysal Mahsoub by the Lebanese Army, hours after his arrest is
an insult for the military institution, security and the Lebanese judiciary.
In this
context, Fatfat stressed that this incident proved that strong pressures are
being exerted on the Judiciary, making it lose its credibility.
- Cabinet session to be held without Mansour’s report on
maritime borders
The agenda of the cabinet session expected to be held Wednesday
September 5 at Baabda palace, is prepared and includes 68 items, chief among
which the pay scale draft law, the extension of the exclusivity agreement for
the Middle East Airlines and the donations offered to help the Syrian refugees.
On the other hand, the agenda did not include the report
presented by Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour regarding the maritime borders, but
ministerial sources told
As-Safir daily that it has not been clear whether this
report was automatically inserted to the agenda since it has been presented
during the previous session.
Al-Akhbar Daily reported
that one of the items on the agenda of next week’s cabinet session concerns the
acceptance of a donation from a Norwegian non-governmental institution,
including 672 tents, food and equipment.
The newspaper noted that
this item shows that the political authorities intend to set up camps for the
Syrian refugees, while ministerial sources stress that this item presents risks
on the humanitarian and political levels. On the humanitarian level, the
acceptance of the donation means that the Lebanese government plans to place
the refugees in more tragic circumstances. However, on the political level, setting
up camps for the Syrian refugees will have security and political repercussions
on Lebanon in general, and on the regions where the refugees stay in
particular.
The ministers discussed this
item during the previous cabinet session, but they did not reach an agreement
awaiting Social Affairs Minister Wael Abou Faour to attend the session.
Justice Minister Shakib
Qortbawi said that homosexuality and virginity tests, described by the legal
agenda as “tests of shame”, will not be performed again in Lebanon.
In an interview with
As-Safir
Daily, Qortbawi stressed that he took this decision since he believes that this
examination is against Human Rights,
especially that the Physicians’ Syndicate confirmed its medical and evidential ineffectiveness.