Press Digest for Sunday March 17, 2013

                           
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.

• Syrian regime might expand the circle of confrontation                       

Sources told "Al Anbaa" newspaper on Sunday that Western ambassadors warned Lebanese officials over the next steps that the Syrian regime would take pertaining to the current Syrian crisis.                     
According to the Daily, the Syrian regime might expand the circles of confrontation with the Arab countries and the international community.                      

• Free Syrian Army's coordinator: We are ready to withdraw from Syrian-Lebanese border               

The Free Syrian Army's media and political co-coordinator Louay al Mokdad told An-Nahar newspaper on Sunday that the FSA is ready to withdraw from the Syrian Lebanese border should the Lebanese army control the border with Syria.               

al Mokdad added that the deployment of the Syrian regime's forces on the border with Lebanon came in response to France's last stance pertaining to arming the Syrian opposition.                      

• Fatfat: Discussions are underway between Future bloc and Progressive Socialist Party                  

Future bloc MP Ahmad Fatfat asserted to al-Mustaqbal newspaper on Sunday that discussions are underway between the Future bloc and the Progressive Socialist Party to reach an electoral draft law.           
MP Fatfat noted that other parties, mainly the Free Patriotic Movement, are refusing any proposal other than the Orthodox Gathering's draft law.                   

According to the Daily, the electoral draft law proposed by the Future bloc and the Progressive Socialist Party will see the light next week.                

• Fierce clashes might resume in Tripoli             

Sources revealed to An-Nahar newspaper on Sunday that the security tensions are rising in Tripoli, warning that clashes between Jabal Mohsen and Bab al-Tabbaneh might resume soon.                 

Sources added that the Lebanese Army forces deployed its units in Tripoli in anticipation of these clashes.