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.
Al Hayat Daily published on Sunday that Lebanese ministerial sources said that the Secretary General of the Lebanese-Syrian Higher Council Nasri Khoury reported to several Lebanese officials that Damascus
admonishes President Sleiman for his latest statements. Syria considers that
apologies were presented to Sleiman for the territorial
sovereignty violations of the Lebanese-Syrian borders.
The Syrian state also reported that investigations were launched to reveal
the incidents’ circumstances and promised that such violations won’t happen
again.
According to the sources, the Syrian regime reproaches started when Sleiman
asked the Foreign Affairs Minister Adnan Mansour to call the Syrian Ambassador
to Lebanon Ali Abdel Karim Ali and hand him over an official letter in which the
Lebanese state protests the continuous violations of the Lebanese border towns
in Akkar by the Syrian Army.
The sources also said that President Sleiman did not intend to have an
argument with the Syrian regime but “wanted to reply to some of the false claims
mentioned in the Syrian letter to the Security Council in which it is mentioned
that the Free Syrian Army has military bases in the north of Lebanon.”
“Sleiman’s response was based on information that the leaders of the official
security forces confirmed. The information denies the accuracy of what was
mentioned in the Syrian letter.”
In an interview with An-Nahar Daily
published on Sunday, Mokdad Clan’s sources confirmed that there are no
judiciary warrants against Mokdad Clan Secretary General Maher Mokdad or the brother of the detainee
in Syria, denying that the Turkish hostage was released by the LAF.
The sources added that
the clan lost contact with the group in charge of keeping the Turkish hostage
and the 4 Syrian detainees two days ago. The 5 hostages remain in the custody of
the Mokdad Clan and their fate should be revealed in the upcoming hours.
An-Nahar Daily said on Sunday that March 14 General Secretariat coordinator Fares Soueid contacted MPs Nouhad
Mashnouk and Khaled Daher right after the Military Court of Cassation decided
to release the 3 officers involved in the killing incident of Sheikh Abdel
Wahed and his companion Sheikh Mohammad Merhib in Akkar.
The 2 MPs also received
a phone call from LF leader Samir Geagea.
According to the daily, Future Movement discussed the issue with its allies and it was agreed on postponing
the reactions till after the Pope’s visit to Lebanon.
The sheikhs’ relatives were
informed about the decision by the 2 MPs and were cooperative and understanding.
In an interview with An-Nahar Daily
published on Sunday, Environment Minister Nazem El Khoury stressed that
President Sleiman’s positions haven’t change since he was elected president
of the Lebanese state.
Khoury added that for some the
political interests change so “they consider that the president became on their
sides, but in fact it is quite the opposite.”
Khoury stressed that the Presiden’t
opinion is not political and that his positions’ roots are related to his
patriotic commitment, the protection of the Constitution and the national
common interest.
Commenting on the cabinet’s issue,
Khoury said: “We inherited the accumulation of neglect and postponed problems.”
“The cabinet is going through tough
times right now on all levels and Lebanon is left to its fate”, he added.
In an interview with Almustaqbal Newspaper published on Sunday, LF sources
said that the party is preparing a series of lectures
for the convergence of the Lebanese, as well as galas and meetings that will be hosted by
the party’s leader Samir Geagea.