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 on Friday that President Michel Sleiman will postpone the national dialogue
session which was scheduled before the assassination of Brigadier General
Wissam al-Hassan on the 12th of November until the 29th seemingly since he was
not able to convince all parties to participate.
The sources
mentioned to
Al-Joumhouria newspaper that the President is still conducting
consultations and is expected to meet with the Head of the Change and Reform Bloc
MP Michel Aoun and Speaker Nabih Berri.
Sources said to
Al-Joumhouria newspaper that those who carried
out the assassination of Brigadier General Wissam al-Hassam are professionals
who prepared for the assassination a long time before.
The sources mentioned that the professional body was able to follow up al-Hassan's movements
since he reached the airport, passing by the Directorate
General of the ISF, reaching the apartment where he lives in Achrafieh,
The assassination team examined the street where they put the car
bomb.
Members of the team wore outfits of civilian security members
assigned to guard the banks in the area.
They also changed the places of parked cars; between 6:00 and 7:00 AM, they parked the booby trapped Rav4 in place of
another car (probably a Volvo).
It is worth mentioning that Brigadier General Wissam al-Hassan was
not in his car when it first left the crime scene pointing out that he was
under precise surveillance so that the assassinating party reduces its error
rate in the success of the crime to zero.
Head of the National Struggle Front Deputy Walid Jumblatt asked all
parties to abide by President Michel Sleiman's defense strategy.
Talking to
As-Safir Daily, Jumblatt said that parties must meet for
national dialogue so they all agree on keeping Lebanon aside from the clashes
surrounding it.
"He who wants to topple the government and form a new one must
unconditionally accept national dialogue," Jumblatt said.
Jumblatt mentioned that there is no justification for postponing
the parliamentary elections even if they were based on the 1960's electoral
law.
Sources close to PM Najib Mikati said that his visit to France
scheduled between the 19th and 21st of November is to discuss political and economic issues in addition to the security situations including the file of the Syrian refugees to
Lebanon.
The sources mentioned to
An-Nahar Daily that the meeting between PM
Mikati and the French President Francois Hollande will be the second after
their first meeting in New York on the sidelines of the regular session of the
UN General Assembly.
Al-Akhbar newspaper said on Friday that the Public Prosecution
Department of the South has set surveillance cameras and linked them to the
office of the Attorney General in Sidon.
It turned out that the reason was due to a security member losing his
gun while another employee is accused of hiding papers including arrest warrants.