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.
Lebanese Forces Chief Samir Geagea told
As-Safir newspaper that extremism is wide-spread in Lebanon, as it is in Syria, adding that
Jabhat al-Nusra and other Jihadi Islamist
groups may represent only 20% of the armed opposition.
"The opposition resorted to the use of
arms only after months of holding peaceful demonstrations against the regime.
In fact, super powers are supporting the 'Free Syrian Army' and the 'political
opposition' in order to fill the void and provide an alternative to the current
regime," Geagea said.
In this regard, Geagea mentioned that Hezbollah's
stance and direct intervention in the fight alongside the Syrian regime will
take a toll on the Shiites in Lebanon and the region, adding that Hezbollah
should have committed to the policy of dissociation in order to abide by the government's
policy.
On another note, Geagea stressed that the
supporters of the March 14 coalition and the
Future bloc reject extremism, and added that everyone should exert efforts to
enhance the role of the Sate, the security institutions and the Lebanese Army.
Interior Minister Marwan Charbel said that if the lack of consensus over an electoral law continues, no elections will be held, warning against the void that could occur if the parliament's mandate comes
to an end or if its mandate is not extended.
In this regard, Charbel told
As-Safir Daily
that should the Deputies resort to the electoral body in order to adopt an
electoral law based on the majority, the situation will manifest via security repercussions on the ground.
The call of Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour that
the Syrian regime should be reinstated in the Arab League does not dovetail
with the Arab unanimity and violates the policy of dissociation, according to
Arab and Lebanese diplomatic sources.
Political sources told
Al-Liwaa Daily that standing
against the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) would entail negative repercussions
on the political and economic situation in Lebanon, and added that members of
the GCC took preliminary measures including:
1- Freezing the transfer of funds allocated to the displaced Syrians living
in Lebanon, who have so far reached one million according to U.N. estimates.
2- Reconsidering the facilities granted to
the Lebanese people in terms of visas and residence in the GCC.
National Struggle Front Leader Walid Jumblatt
stressed that he will not run for the parliamentary elections if the Orthodox
Gathering proposal is adopted, adding that the solution lies in reaching a
common ground between the government's draft law and the law based on the
majority.
In this regard, Jumblatt told
Asharq Alawsat
Daily that deferring the elections for technical reasons to two or three months
is acceptable but the political delay would drive the country to the unknown,
stressing the need to agree on an electoral law and to hold the elections on
their due time.
On the Syrian crisis, Jumblatt said that
"the Syrian regime should be toppled"
since the Syrian President Bachar Assad is "schizophrenic",
and added that Western countries aim at dismantling Syria, extending the civil
war and changing the whole map in the region.