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.
Sources said
to
As-Safir newspaper that the ISF information branch obtained the telecommunications data performed by
Martyr Brigadier General Wissam al-Hassan hours before his assassination; from
the moment he reached Beirut International Airport on Thursday night until the
moment of the explosion on Friday.
According to the source, right after the explosion, the ISF
Director General Major General Ashraf Rifi asked the Information Branch to
provide him with information if any official is targeted.
Meanwhile, General Rifi tried to contact al-Hassan who was
expected to be in Paris with his family after his return from Berlin, but was
not able to reach him.
At around 4:00 PM, General Rifi was informed by Former PM
Saad Hariri that Gen. Hassan told him that he had reached Beirut.
The sources said that Brig. Gen. Wissam al-Hassan had been
subject to surveillance not only in Beirut, but also in Berlin and Paris.
Currently, the main concentration is on the people who
contacted el-Hassan after his return to Beirut.
Ministerial sources said to
Al-Hayat Daily that ambassadors of the
5 permanent members of the UN Security Council and the UN Special
Coordinator for Lebanon Derek Plumbly expressed to the Lebanese
President Michel Sleiman the need for the government's preservation in light of the Syrian
crisis and its negative impacts on Lebanon.
Sources mentioned that the ambassadors said
that the resignation of the current cabinet must be accompanied by the
agreement on an alternative cabinet or else any ill-conceived step will lead to
tension knowing that the caretaker government is unable to take
major decisions in the country.
Sources to
Al-Hayat newspaper
said on Tuesday that Former PM Saad Hariri insists on the Cabinet's resignation.
Hariri pointed out that the
resignation is not suitable for some countries, but it serves the Lebanese
people.
Al-Liwaa newspaper said on Tuesday that the American Ambassador to
Lebanon Maura Connelly
discussed with Speaker Nabih Berri the Lebanese situation, but did not
mention anything related to the Cabinet's resignation considering it as an internal issue.
Connelly said
to Berri that the US' only concern in preserving the Lebanese stability and sovereignty
in light of the Syrian crisis.
Al-Akhbar
newspaper said on Tuesday that PM Najib Mikati is heading on Tuesday afternoon
or Wednesday morning to Mecca to perform the Annual Islamic Pilgrimage.
The PM will be going
with his family to the Land of Hijaz for 3 days whereby he will be unreachable; except in the case of an emergency.
Sources
mentioned that after Friday's explosion, PM Mikati was decisive in resigning
from his post, but excessive foreign calls asking not lead the country towards
the abyss made him think twice about this decision.