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.
Lebanese Forces
Chief Samir Geagea told
An-Nahar and
Al-Liwaa newspapers on Wednesday that the
speech of Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah requires a hefty study, stressing that he is preparing an answer “if a discussion erupts in
this regard.”
Via
An-Nahar,
Geagea said to Nasrallah that General Michel Aoun was once the top leader of
Christians, “but not anymore”, adding that a poll conducted among
Christians before the assassination of Major General Wissam Hassan showed a very
tight difference between Aoun and him. “This is what I want Sayyed Nasrallah to
know.”
In this context,
Geagea said that he did not buy the story of Aoun's attempted assassination in
Sidon, adding that investigations carried out by the ISF’s Information Branch
prove that no assassination attempt took place whatsoever.
On the call of
Nasrallah to engage in elections according to the government’s draft law,
Geagea said “It is as though Nasrallah was asking us to leave the house and sign our
concession at the notary’s office.”
Cabinet and boycott
Geagea reiterated his decision to boycott any
dialogue with March 8, “even with the coalition’s Christians.” Calling on the
government to resign, he said, addressing his opponents: “We are waiting… we
will meet at the upcoming parliamentary elections; when March 14 wins the
parliamentary majority, it will be entitled to choose a president, a house
speaker and a prime minister.
Asked on whether he still thinks House
Speaker Nabih Berri should not be elected for a second term, he said “I have no
problem with Berri but if we win the parliamentary majority, we should choose a
House Speaker that would be in line with the majority’s views; I strongly hope
that Berri joins March 14 and if he does, it will be the happiest day of my
life.”
Geagea reiterated his refusal to engage in
any dialogue with Christian parties. “Who shall I negotiate with? Aoun? or
Frangieh?”, he said accusing Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn and Sleiman Frangieh
of being part of the [Syrian] 'killing machine'.
Relation with Rai
On another note, Geagea denied any rupture in
ties with Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Beshara Rai, pointing out that he is in constant
contact with the Head of the Maronite Church. “I have not visited him recently
for security reasons,” he said.
On Syria
On the Syrian crisis, Geagea considered that
the regime of Bashar Assad is heading towards the abyss, adding that some
members of the international community want Syria completely destroyed.
A cabinet session is due to be
held at the Grand Serail this morning to discuss an agenda of 118 items.
In this regard, sources told
Al
Joumhouria Daily on Wednesday that this is one of the most important sessions
given the files expected to be discussed, mainly the two draft laws submitted
by the Minister of Energy; the first one is related to the law of water in
Lebanon and the second to the reactivation of the Deir Ammar power plant.
House Speaker Nabih Berri told
As-Safir Daily on Wednesday that the Parliamentary committees went back to
work, adding that the legislative power must not be disrupted under any circumstance.
Berri said that the MPs who are boycotting
the parliamentary sessions are responsible for their decision.
Heeding the call
of the kidnappers of the 9 Lebanese nationals in Syria, the abductees’ families
will hold a sit-in outside the Syrian embassy in Hamra on Wednesday, raising
banners calling for the release of their loved ones.
Exclusive
sources told
An-Nahar Daily that an agreement was reached with the Syrian
ambassador to carry out the protest in Hamra, not outside his residence which
is the real HQ of the Syrian embassy in Yarzeh.
An-Nahar added
that the Iranian embassy has not approved such a demand yet, knowing that abductors
called on the families of their Lebanese hostages to protest outside both the
Syrian and Iranian embassies, just like the protests held outside the Turkish
and Qatari embassies.
Exclusive
sources told
An-Nahar Daily on Wednesday that Hezbollah operative Ali Moussa
Daqduq who was detained in Baghdad on charges of partaking in the killing of
U.S. soldiers during the U.S. occupation of Iraq, is now at liberty and has
been in Lebanon for about a month. The sources added that he fulfilled his
pilgrimage duties in the past few days.
Daqduq is in
his thirties and hails from a border town in south Lebanon.