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 learned from security sources on Wednesday that clashes
erupted on Tuesday, killing eight, on the Syrian side of Ed-Douar, a town
straddling the Lebanese-Syrian border, with half of the town in Lebanon and the
other half extending into Syria.
Ed-Douar citizens had to transfer those killed in the clashes to the
Lebanese side, after being neglected by the other side.
The daily also reported that the Syrian authorities will soon send to
Beirut a detailed report on arms smuggling from Lebanon into Syria in a bid to
block smuggling outlets into Syria.
An-Nahar daily quoted Arab League Chief Nabil el-Araby on Wednesday as
saying that the prime minister of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber bin
Muhammad Al Thani, had told him following the meeting of Arab foreign ministers
last Sunday, that he will discuss with the Emir of Qatar Hamad bin Khalifa
al-Thani the possibility of refusing the presidency of the Arab Ministerial
Committee.
The Arab League tasked the Arab Ministerial
Committee with talking the Syrian government into halting violence against
Syrian protesters and resorting to dialogue with the opposition to discuss
political reform that would meet the aspirations of the Syrian people
As-Safir daily quoted high-ranking Lebanese security sources on
Wednesday as saying that “the Syrian leadership does not have a political
agenda to violate the Lebanese border and the country’s sovereignty”, adding
that, “one should tell the difference between a friend and a foe.”
The sources reported to the daily that “we might disagree with a friend
on a certain matter, but any arising dispute can be resolved through dialogue.
Syria is certainly not like Israel and no one should sow conflict between
Lebanon and Syria.”
The sources added that “some are trying to leverage the ambiguous
incidents on the border for political advantages”, adding that the Lebanese
state is acting in earnest to put things on the right track.
“Syrian authorities made clear to
Lebanon that Syrian soldiers, when tasked with chasing after smugglers, often
cannot tell whether they have crossed the border or not, due to the absence of
a clear demarcation line between Lebanon and Syria.”
The
Progressive Socialist Party is likely to renovate its organizational structure
by paving the way for Progressive Youth to play a role in the partisan life.
Al-Liwaa
daily reported that Timor Jumblatt, PSP leader Walid Jumblatt’s son, is on the
list of these people.
Timor
Jumblatt was recently promoted to a “Morshed” (advisor), which would entitle
him to run for the leadership council and, ultimately, the party presidency.
Socialist
Party Secretary General Sharif Fayyad told the daily that “The current
renovation is taking a different aspect since the young generation will engage
in the political life. Some of the cadres are running for the leadership
council, which would put the exercise of democracy within the party ranks to
the test.”