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.
Al Joumhouria Daily published on Thursday an article whereby it cited the British newspaper The Guardian as saying that the Syrian Foreign Ministry’s spokesman Jihad Makdissi had defected and headed to the US.
Sources close to Makdissi and to the Syrian Embassy in London, reported that Makdissi left Syria after a conflict with regime figures, including President Bashar Assad and FM Walid Al-Moallem. According to the article, they considered that Makdissi implicated the regime when he officially and publicly stated that Syria owns chemical weapons which are internationally prohibited.
Makdissi stated back in August that “the Syrian Army owns chemical weapons and will not use them unless Syria was attacked by foreign forces.”
MP Okab Sakr will be holding a press conference today at noon in Istanbul, whereby he will explain the political and informative roles he is playing to support the Syrian revolution. He will also tackle the latest leaked recordings that prove his involvement in arming Syrian militants against Assad’s regime.
In this context, sources reported to
Al Liwaa Daily that Sakr, who has previously confirmed the validity of the recordings, will reiterate his support to the Syrian opposition and will describe in details how he contributes in arming the Syrian rebels.
According to the sources, Sakr will be launching a counter-attack against Hezbollah and his allies, since he will present proofs of the party’s involvement in the battles in Syria through videos showing detained members of Hezbollah confessing that they are fighting on Syrian territories.
An-Nahar Daily published on Thursday that Syria informed the Lebanese authorities of the names of the men who were killed in an ambush in Talkalakh.
14 bodies are expected to be delivered to Lebanese representatives of the General Directorate of General Security.
According to the newspaper, there are possibly 3 men who survived but will not return to Lebanon since they remain detained by Syrian authorities to be prosecuted later in Damascus.
On Wednesday, Syria informed the Lebanese Foreign Ministry that the bodies of those who were killed in Talkalakh will be delivered to the Lebanese authorities over 3 batches starting Saturday.
An-Nahar Daily reported on Thursday that at least 7 were killed and 58 others were wounded in clashes between Tripoli’s Bab el-Tebbaneh and Jabal Mohsen.
This as, Mufti of Tripoli and the North Sheikh Malek al-Shaar reportedly received death threats.
In this context, the security sources told the newspaper that that Mufit Shaar is the target of assassination plots and was accordingly advised not to return to Lebanon.
The sources added that security apparatuses are taking the necessary measures to protect the Mufti and assure his safe return to the country.
The Mufti participated in Interfaith Dialogue in Vienna and headed later to Paris after receiving several calls from Beirut advising him not to return to Lebanon.
Al Diyar Daily reported on Thursday that the head of the Future parliamentary block MP Fouad Siniora told a close friend that he continues to meet with Speaker Nabih Berri, stressing that it is a mistake to cut off all ties between the Future Movement and Berri since he the most moderate and tolerable party in the conflict between March 8 and March 14.
According to the daily, Siniora criticized Former PM Saad Hariri stating cynically that “a wise man doesn't cut off all ties with Berri.”