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.
Top political sources said
that the dead end reached in the current political crisis in Lebanon and the
increase of the repercussions of the Syrian crisis affecting its unstable
condition, are causing unlimited embarrassments to all the Lebanese political
parties, especially Hezbollah, given that it is the “majority’s backbone”. This
situation is requiring bold steps and decisions which contribute to alleviate
the exposure of Lebanon to the damages of the region’s critical condition and
to immunize it against the repercussions of the Syrian crisis on the relations
of its factions.
The sources told
al-Hayat
daily that these embarrassments vary between daily and temporary ones caused by
the Syrian crisis, and fundamental and strategic ones affecting its alliances
and its Lebanese and regional position.
The sources noted that, even
though March 8 and March 14 forces depend on the developments of the events in
Syria to make up their positions, this standby does not annul the challenges
that exist.
Environment Minister Nazem
al-Khoury responded to the campaigns launched against President Michel Sleiman
regarding the debate which arose between the Foreign and Social Affairs
Ministers, noting that Sleiman’s statements were based on the principle that
every ambassador, not only the Syrian ambassador, must commit to the diplomatic
norms, and their activities must pass by the Foreign Ministry.
In an interview to
An-Nahar
Newspaper, al-Khoury pointed that every ambassador intending to visit Baabda
Palace must take an appointment from the Foreign Ministry; stressing that the
reason why the Lebanese ambassador to Syria has not yet met with the Syrian Foreign
Minister Walid al-Mouallem is because the Lebanese ambassador has asked for an
appointment several times, but never received an answer.
The environment minister
stressed that the President should give instructions to the Foreign Minister
who has to draw the attention of the ambassadors to commit to the norms,
whether it was during their meetings or in their statements where they should refrain
from interfering in the Lebanese internal affairs.
On the other hand, Future bloc
MP Ammar Houry said that the activities of the Syrian ambassador to Lebanon Ali
Abdel Karim Ali have violated all the diplomatic norms, and that he turned into
a “militia leader” threatening to create chaos in Lebanon, as he said.
In a statement to
al-Seyassah al-Kuwaitia newspaper, Houry regretted that the head of Change and
Reform bloc MP Michel Aoun allowed his platform to be used to attack Lebanon
and its sovereignty. He added that “unfortunately, the Lebanese Foreign
Ministry has turned into a branch of the Syrian Foreign Ministry.”
- Jumblatt-Aoun meeting, did
it happen?
The Progressive Socialist
Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt denied reports issued on Saturday, stating that
he held a meeting with the head of Change and Reform bloc MP Michel Aoun, in a
dinner at a restaurant in the town of Aitat, and that special security measures
were taken during the meeting.
Jumblatt told
an-Nahar that
he is not used to hold this kind of “secret meetings”, adding that in case he
did, he will declare it.
- Asma Assad’s cousin rebukes her with harsh letter
Rasha al-Akhras sent a harsh letter to her cousin Asma
Assad, the wife of the Syrian President Bashar Assad, criticizing her silence
over the suffering of the children in Syria and the massacres committed against
the Syrian people, especially in Homs, her hometown.
In the letter, al-Akhras asked: “Did you make sure that your
children had their breakfast as usual? Or did you feel that you are disabled
for not finding a piece of bread to end their hunger?”
“The day will come when the Syrian revolution will triumph,
and God will take revenge, and then I will not feel bad for what happens to
you, because your blood does no longer concern me,” she said in the letter
which was published on a social media website page, titled “Syria’s Christians supporting
the revolution”.