Press Digest for Thursday November 22, 2012

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. 

• Siniora: Hezbollah smuggles arms into Syria, sells it to Free Syrian Army
  

Al Akhbar Daily published on Thursday that while meeting with US diplomats, Former PM Fouad Siniora welcomed the formation of the Syrian opposition’s new coalition and said that “Hezbollah is smuggling weapons into Syria and selling it to the Free Syrian Army.”    

Siniora also questioned the party’s “ethics” and accused it of being involved in the counterfeit medicines’ scandal.   

The former PM then criticized the current cabinet, stressing that “tension in Lebanon has increased since its formation.”     

According to Siniora, “the country is in need of a neutral technocratic cabinet that will prepare for the upcoming parliamentary elections and will mend the diplomatic relations with some of the Arab countries.”       

• Ipsos research company faces the threat of a scandal  

Sources reported to Al Akhbar Daily that Ipsos global research company conducted a private study for a Lebanese media institution.     

The study was not supposed to be used as a media material. However, and according to the newspaper, Ipsos conducted a second study for the same institution and reported false information about its rank among other institutions.   

In this context, legal sources said to the Daily that this is a professional scandal and that a lawsuit will be filed after reporting the documents to the main company in France.      

• Lebanese detainees in Syria to be “released soon"      

Sources reported to Al Joumhouria Daily that Asifat al Shamal Brigade’s official “Abu Mohammad” contacted from Turkey several Lebanese reporters and officials, revealing that 4 of the 9 Lebanese pilgrims detained in Syria will be released by the end of this month.     

The sources added that “Abu Mohammad” contacted an officer  in charge of following the case of these detainees and delivered the news without mentioning whether “Abu Ibrahim” had decided to release the detainees.   

For his part, the officer stressed that this step should be discussed with high ranking officials.        

In this context, Lebanese sources doubted that “Abou Mohammad's” scenario is true.        

• Charbel asks Abboud’s help to stop Shukr and Kanso from smoking      

Al Akhbar Newspaper reported on Thursday that Interior Minister Marwan Charbel who attended a reception for the Syrian Social Nationalist Party a few days ago on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the party, stood next to Baath Party official Fayez Shukr  and State Minister Ali Kanso. And when the two began smoking, Charbel reminded them of the non-smoking law in closed public places. The two officials ignored his advice so Charbel then asked Tourism Minister Fadi Abboud to help him convince them to obey the law.       

• Interrogation of a security official close to Sleiman for manipulating investigations  

Al Akhbar Daily published on Thursday that a high ranking state security official close to President Michel Sleiman was referred to the General Prosecution in Beirut for manipulating investigations in a case in which a professional gang is being accused of forging real-estate documents for a businessman close to PM Najib MIkati.