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.
Bulgarian diplomatic sources told
As-Safir Daily on Friday that
immense pressure was exerted on Sofia to include Hezbollah on its list of
terrorist organizations; however, this is impossible since Bulgaria has no such list.
The Executive Secretary General of the European
External Action Service Pierre Vimont told the Daily that Bulgaria did not
demand that Hezbollah be included in the EU’s list of terrorist organizations,
but only called for the help of the Union in the investigations. “This is what the
EU actually did through the Europol, its
independent body for investigations,” he said.
Vimont admitted that there was a divide among
EU members on whether to include Hezbollah in the list of terrorist
organizations, pointing out that some of the member states asked for it after
receiving the Bulgarian report and upon requests from Israel and the U.S.
European diplomatic sources reported that
Europeans are very skeptical of the investigations conducted by Bulgarian
authorities.
House Speaker Nabih Berri stressed on Friday that he is
receiving positive news from the parliamentary sub-committee meetings, adding
that many parties in the committee welcomed the hybrid electoral law proposed
by the Liberation and Development Bloc and which combines the majoritarian and
proportional systems.
Berri told
An-Nahar Daily that everything will be clear when
the sub-committee’s meetings come to an end in around a week, pointing out that
if the committee does not reach decisive results, resorting to joint
parliamentary committees will be “inevitable.”
Berri praised MP Georges Adwan and his colleagues in the
committee for their assiduous efforts to reach a new electoral law.
Al-Akhbar Daily reported on Friday that the flag of al-Qaeda
organization was raised in the Nejmeh Square in Tripoli, replacing a photo of
former PM Saad Hariri. Meanwhile, sources stressed that senior al-Qaeda
affiliated field leader Hussam al-Sabbagh ordered that a banner be removed from
Tripoli’s al-Nahhassin market. The banner reportedly read: “We will no longer
tolerate that Sunnis blood be spilled… we sacrifice our souls and blood for
you, Arsal lions.” The banner was signed “The Islamic Emirate.”
- Debate over Islamic Supreme Council
elections reaches its peak
Sources told
An-Nahar Daily on
Friday that the debate over the Islamic Supreme Council elections has reached
its peak due to the latest developments following the visit of PM Najib Mikati
to Saudi Arabia.
Well-informed sources from Dar
al-Fatwa told the same daily that Mikati informed some intermediaries that there
was a decision to hold elections according to the formula suggested by the
opposition, the Future bloc in particular. This formula suggests that the Council
hold a session in the presence of the Prime Minister and former presidents and
set a date for elections. This induces recognition of the Council’s mandate
extension which is considered “illegitimate” by the Mufti of the Lebanese
Republic Sheikh Mohammad Rashid Qabbani.
The sources quoted intermediaries as
saying that the decision is being supported by Saudi Arabia and Syria and that
there was a determination to hold elections even if they lead to the isolation
of the Mufti “should he refuse to attend the session due on February 16.”