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.
Sources told
Al-Liwaa Daily that an attempt to
assassinate Imam of Bilal bin Rabbah mosque Sheikh Ahmad Assir was thwarted,
adding that the ISF's Information Branch arrested a suspect who was armed with a
gun.
In this regard, Salafist movements held
protests in Egypt to voice solidarity with Sheikh Assir, noting that they
threatened to besiege the Lebanese Embassy in Cairo should the Lebanese
authorities refuse to lift the siege off Sheikh Assir.
Al-Akhbar Daily mentioned that the Prime
Minister Najib Mikati informed Grand Mufti Mohammad Rachid Qabbani on the
latest agreement of the Heads of government, and asked Qabbani to pay him a
visit in order to broker a settlement but the latter refused.
Sources close to PM Mikati stressed that the
heads of government have decided to isolate the Mufti should he refuse to
convene the juristic council that is set to fix a date for the election of
the new council.
In this context, sources close to Mufti
Qabbani reported that all the statements that were issued are a mere threat
that will not pay off, and stressed that the Mufti’s call to elect the juristic
council on the 14th of April is still valid.
Al-Akhbar Newspaper mentioned that during the
first session of the conference that was organized by the parliament in
cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), a debate flared
between Change and Reform Bloc MP Ibrahim Kanaan and Kataeb Party's Central
Committee Coordinator MP Sami Gemayel.
In the details, MP Gemayel asked to deliver
numerous speeches, not allowing the heads of Municipalities to discuss their
demands.
In an attempt to organize the session, MP
Kanaan interrupted MP Gemayel who left the place and returned after a few
minutes.
Security sources
told
al-Joumhourya Daily that displaced Syrians’ camps in the regions of al-Marej,
al-Dalhamya, al-Faour and Bar Elias may be a preliminary step to establish a
military base for the Syrian opposition on the Lebanese territories, mainly
since “those camps are funded by well-known GCC associations”.
In this
regard, the sources also reported that if the situation spirals out of control,
violent clashes will break out between the residents of those camps and the
security apparatuses.
In
parallel, the same sources voiced their concern over a potential scenario that
may occur, such as the Palestinian refugees’ in the 1970s,
since a huge number of the displaced Syrians are equipped with arms, which
undermines security and stability.