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.
An-Nahar daily quoted Member of Parliamentary Human Rights
Committee MP Sami Gemayel on Saturday as saying that he had appealed to the
Lebanese judiciary, during the committee meeting last Monday, to take actions
based on the information revealed by ISF Director Brigadier General Ashraf Rifi
and to arrest all parties involved in the criminal acts.
Gemayel confirmed that “no diplomatic immunity for those who
commit remarkable crimes on Lebanese territories.”
“Before getting to this point we should dwell on what has
been revealed during the committee meeting: officers and ISF members, working
at the disposal of the Syrian embassy, have abducted two Syrian people through
ISF vehicles,” he added.
“Rifi has taken disciplinary measures against the
perpetrators. The relevant information should be transferred to the prosecutor
general who, in his turn, should look into them and take accordingly the
appropriate measures.”
In his concluding remarks, Gemayel voiced surprise that the
judiciary has not taken any action so far.
According to
An-Nahar daily, the foreign ministry learned
that Arab League Chief Nabil al-Araby will visit Beirut on November 1st for the
first time since he took office. The visit will last 48 hours, during which
al-Araby will hold talks with the president, speaker, prime minister and
foreign minister.
An-Nahar quoted diplomatic sources as saying that al-Araby
will meet with Lebanese top officials to tackle various issues, notably the
recent developments in many Arab states and the fate of the U.N. bid for Palestinian
statehood.
The sources also reported that the talks will shed light on
the ties between the Arab League and Lebanon, notably the Arab League’s
continuing appeal to Israel to fully implement U.N. Security Council resolution
1701.
“The second part of al-Araby’s talks will focus on Lebanon’s
stance on the tabled issues in order to improve the performance of the Arab League and
its institutions which require modernization and development,” the sources
added.
As-Safir daily quoted high-ranking political sources on
Saturday as saying that “it is naïve to consider the STL as a judicial entity
working independently from the events in the region.”
“The Tribunal is part
of a project targeting the axis of Iran and Syria which includes Hezbollah in
Lebanon and Hamas in Palestine. In other words, the STL aims at bringing down a
particular integrated system.”
The sources told
As-Safir that “If the Syrian regime manages
to overcome the severe crisis besieging Syria through the reform-stability
equation, there will be no funding for the STL.”
The sources added that every step and resolution stemming
from the Tribunal is determined by a particular political interest and not by
pure legal facts and data.
“Funding the STL or renewing its protocol will be only
approved through a major regional decision; Lebanon cannot take such a decision
by itself,” the sources added.
“Facts show that the STL no longer has a crucial regional
role. Its goal is now limited to accusing the Iranian and Syrian regimes along
with Hezbollah; these accusations will be backed by resolutions issued by the
U.N. Security Council or major countries. These resolutions will be manifested
by sanctions, international pressure, hinting at a NATO intervention and
recognition of the transitional council. “
“All this was
anticipated from the moment the STL issued the indictment. However, the STL
will no longer be needed should the U.S.-western project wins.”
Al-Akhbar daily confirmed on Saturday that “the partisan
shock that the National Struggle Front Leader MP Walid Jumblatt will reveal
during the General Assembly of the Progressive Socialist Party in the end of
this month, as he said, might be what he [Jumblatt] has already revealed to
high-ranking officials in Lebanon and abroad, which is his decision to step
down from his leadership position. Therefore, Jumblatt might have called for
convening the General Assembly to brief the party leaders and cadres on his
final decision.”
According to the daily, “the shock is not only limited to
Jumblatt’s stepping down; however; he will reportedly call for a collective
resignation and will ask certain leaders not to run for new leadership positions
in order to make room for new leaders and people to assume leadership of the
party in its different sectors.”
The sources denied that Jumblatt’s move aims at withdrawing
from the political life, confirming that “Jumblatt is aware that his move will
confuse his supporters and would not be taken seriously by some; nevertheless,
he will insist on his position.”
Al-Joumhouria daily quoted Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon
Ghadanfar Roken Abadi on Saturday as saying that “the U.S. accusation against
Iran is linked to foreign interests and is a means to cover up the U.S.
failure,” voicing surprise over the short time during which the investigations
and conclusions were fabricated.
U.S. accused Iran of plotting to assassinate Saudi Arabia's
ambassador to the U.S.
Clinton and other U.S. officials urged the rest of the world
to join Washington in condemning the scheme, which she said violated U.S. and
international law as well as Iran's treaty obligations to protect diplomats.
Abadi told
al-Joumhouria that “the U.S. had rushed in voicing
a stance against Iran through its highest-ranking executive official, a move
that heralds a new scenario which the U.S. is drafting with Israel and its
supporters.”
“Pointing fingers at Iran
came as a compensation for the major loss inflicted on the U.S. following the
toppling of Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak, an event that brought down the fortress protecting
the Israeli security.”
“We will not care even
if they impose 44 sanctions for we have become a nuclear country and have
reached self-sufficiency in most fields. We consider the faith of our people in
the Iranian regime as the biggest nuclear bomb,” he added, confirming that
“Iran will not budge on its cause which lies in supporting oppressed and
disadvantaged people.”