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.
As-Safir Daily reported that phone calls and consultations
took place overnight between Interior Minister Marwan Charbel, Minister of
Telecommunications Nicolas Sehnaoui and the Head of the ISF Major General
Ashraf Rifi. The 3 officials reportedly agreed on a formula to keep track of
text messages, one that reconciles the security apparatuses’ needs with the
protection of the citizens’ privacy.
According to the Daily, the formula suggested by Charbel and
agreed upon by Sehnaoui and Rifi stipulates that the ISF Information Division
be initially handed the movement of SMS in both Beirut and Mount
Lebanon during the two months preceding the assassination of Major General
Wissam Hassan, without revealing the content of these messages as per the previous
request of the Information Division. At a second stage, the Division will be
only entitled to review the content of text messages deemed suspicious, similarly
to the process followed regarding the telecommunications data.
House Speaker Nabih Berri told
An-Nahar Daily on Wednesday
that the draft elections law will top discussions at today’s meeting with the
March 14 delegation which will be visiting Ain El Tineh. Berri stressed that he
will listen with an "open heart" to what the delegation’s members have to say,
hoping to get out of the “dark political tunnel” between the two parties.
Berri said that the Lebanese have missed a "golden opportunity"
and haven’t exploited it properly; “this applies to the self-distancing policy adopted in light of the escalating military operations in Syria and the crises sweeping
through many Arab countries.” Berri voiced his fear of the growing divisions
among Islamic communities.
Berri said that the most dangerous thing he heard two days
ago was the statement made by a March 14 MP in the presence of EU ambassador
Angelina Eichhorst. The MP reportedly told Berri that he watched an inquiry
on a French TV channel telling the story of a group of young Tunisians who
headed to Syria and were killed during clashes with the Syrian army. A team from
this channel reportedly visited the families of these young men in Tunisia. The
media team was informed that a Sheikh from Tripoli pushed them to go to Syria,
according to the Daily.
In this regard, Berri called on the Lebanese
to be cautious and to look out for these types of religious leaders “who threaten
Lebanon and other countries.”
Lebanese parliamentary sources told
An-Nahar Daily Wednesday
that they were not surprised by the fact that the former spokesman for the
Syrian Foreign Ministry Jihad al-Makdissi traveled through Beirut. In fact, the Daily reported that he
used to visit Lebanon weekly and that his children have been going to one of Mount
Lebanon’s most prestigious schools since the beginning of the school year.
On another note, well-informed sources told
Al-Joumhouria
Daily that al-Makdissi, who entered the Lebanese territory on Friday evening to
see his family who has been in Beirut for several months, never left.
The sources refused to reveal the whereabouts of Makdissi or
to delve into further details considering that he is "a Syrian citizen who is
not wanted by justice; thus there is no need to monitor his movements."
Well-informed political and diplomatic sources denied that
the Lebanese government had received any request to search for Makdissi in
Beirut whether from the Syrian authorities or any other authority. In contrast,
other sources confirmed that Makdissi has traveled to London.
Sources told
Al-Joumhouria Daily on
Wednesday that a number of major powers summoned their ambassadors from Lebanon
for consultations on the new status quo in light of the recent developments in
Syria.
In this regard, both the French and
U.S. ambassadors Patrice Paoli and Maura Connelly have reportedly left Beirut and are
expected to come back by the beginning of next week.
The head of the Order of Pharmacists, Rabih Hassouna, told
Al-Joumhouria Daily on Wednesday
that a list including the names of all counterfeit medications has been sent to
all pharmacies and the drugs were consequently withdrawn from the market. “The Health
Ministry’s inspection division followed up on all the measures taken to withdraw the drugs from pharmacies and hospitals; which are supposed to be sent back abroad,”
he said.
Hassouna said
that unfortunately, he cannot reassure citizens. “We cannot confirm that there
are no more fake drugs; only God knows because the counterfeiter won’t tell us.
Furthermore, the pharmacist cannot know if a medicine is counterfeit or not.
All patients can do is rely on God or on the State to arrest and imprison
perpetrators.”