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.
Parliamentary sources in the Future Movement told
Acharq al-Awsat Daily on Monday that the current period is extremely dangerous, adding
that opposition figures received threats regarding possible assassinations and
sporadic explosions, mainly in hot spots. They revealed that Arab and Western
diplomatic sources informed them via envoys that plots are underway to export the Syrian
crisis to Lebanon in order to undermine the current security and political
status quo.
These envoys reportedly urged them to take strict security
measures, calling on some of them to leave Lebanon and advising those who are
abroad not to come back.
The sources revealed that former PM Saad Hariri has not
decided to come back to Lebanon, denying rumors that he will return soon. “The
circumstances now are different than those that prevailed before his departure; he is now accused of supporting the Syrian opposition and he is targeted by many local and regional campaigns”.
In this regard, the sources said that National Struggle
Front leader MP Walid Jumblatt was advised to leave Lebanon, “but he decided to
stay, limiting his movements and taking tighter security measures”.
Exclusive sources told
An-Nahar Daily on Monday that
following the visit of the Muslim Scholars delegation to Turkey on Sunday
evening and their meeting with leaders from the Free Syrian Army and other
groups, the kidnappers of the Lebanese men promised the Lebanese authorities to
release two of the abductees that are in their custody as another goodwill gesture; According
to leaked information, Awad Ibrahim is one of the abductees expected to be
released due to his health condition, to be later swapped for the Turkish national kidnapped by al-Mokdad Clan.
According to
An-Nahar, efforts are underway to find
Ali Hassan al-Mokdad who is kidnapped in Syria, and whose fate is expected to
be unveiled in the next few weeks.
In this regard, a well-informed source told
Al-Liwaa
newspaper that the mediation of Sheikh Salem al-Rafei is about to end, at
least at this stage. “It may not end completely since it might not lead to the
release of all of the 10 Lebanese hostages who are still in Aazaz, Syria”.
According to the source, the abductees expected to be
released are Ibrahim Awad and Jamil Saleh due to their health condition.
Al-Akhbar
Daily reported on Monday that the relatives of some of Sidon’s war martyrs and
abductees will gather in Sidon’s neighborhood of Qiyaa this evening in protest
of the visit of a Lebanese Forces delegation to the Imam of the Bilal Bin Rabbah Mosque, Sheikh Ahmad Assir.
The Daily added that
most of these martyrs and abductees were killed by the Lebanese Forces in the
first half of the 1980s, or abducted by the party.
High-level security sources told
Al-Joumhouria Daily on
Monday that the Lebanese Armed Forces carried out raids in Bab el Tebbaneh’s
Zahiriyya neighborhood after being subject to gunfire. This prompted their units
that are deployed in the area to respond to the shooter, before conducting raids that
led to the arrest of 18 people and the confiscation of different types of arms
and an armory.
The LAF conducted raids all night long, which prompted a
positive reaction from the March 14 coalition. However, March 8 leaders voiced their
resentment over what they considered to be “an attempt to get their coalition out
of the capital of north Lebanon”.
The next day, a Bab el-Tebbaneh resident affiliated to March
8 revealed to Salafists that an apartment in the Zahiriyya neighborhood is
loaded with weapons. Immediately, Salafists tried to break into the apartment,
but the LAF intervened, preventing them from confiscating the weapons and tightening
their grip.
In this case, March 8 considered that the LAF is targeting
one party, while March 14 and the Salafists stressed that it is necessary to
arrest all security violators.
Sources from the Kataeb party told
Al-Akhbar Daily on
Monday that during its rally, the party did not call for the expulsion of
Syrian ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdul Karim Ali, adding that it urged Foreign
Minister Adnan Mansour to take the measures he deems appropriate especially
after the Samaha – Mamlouk case.
Samaha,
was arrested on August 9, 2012 by the Internal Security Forces’
Information Branch on suspicion of involvement in a plot to carry out
terrorist attacks in Lebanon in collaboration with Syria.
He
was charged on Aug. 11 alongside Syrian National Security Bureau head
Ali Mamlouk and a Syrian army officer identified as Brig. Gen. Adnan
with plotting to assassinate political and religious figures in Lebanon
and carry out terrorist attacks by the he government’s deputy
commissioner at the Military Tribunal.
The
three men were accused of planning to incite sectarian clashes through
terrorist attacks in North Lebanon during the Eid using explosives that
Samaha allegedly transported to Lebanon and stored after taking
possession of them from Mamlouk and Adnan.
“This does not mean that the party wants to break off diplomatic
relations with Syria, but it wants to set limits to the Syrian embassy which is working as a security cell in coordination
with some Lebanese parties and apparatuses”, the sources added.