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
- Al-Hayat:
Abbas was arrested in Syria 20 days before handover
Al-Hayat
daily learnt from official sources on Monday that ISF Intelligence Branch is
still investigating into the case of Wael Abbas.
Wael Abbas,
the mastermind behind the kidnapping of seven Estonians, was handed over by the
Syrian General Security to Lebanon last Wednesday. He was then transferred by
the Public Prosecution Department to the ISF Intelligence Branch.
The sources
told the daily that Abbas was arrested in Syria for 20 days before being handed
over to the Lebanese General Security, adding that the Syrian General Security
interrogated him about falsified documents, after the Qatari authorities caught
him with a fake passport.
The sources
confirmed that Abbas was intercepted in Doha International Airport upon his
arrival, adding that the Qatari authorities detected the false passport. The
sources added that Abbas was heading for Brazil before being intercepted.
The sources
also reported that Abbas tried to flee when being handed over to the Lebanese
General Security on the Lebanese-Syrian border; however, his attempt was foiled
by the patrol.
- Ankara
ready to impose buffer zone along Syrian border
Acharq
Alawasat daily quoted Turkish sources on Monday as saying that Ankara is
closely coordinating with Qatar, which chairs the Arab Peace Initiative
Committee, the Arab League and Washington.
The sources
added that Turkey was planning to announce a raft of sanctions to be imposed
against Syria; however, it decided to postpone the move, paving the way for the
Arab initiative to take its course.
“Given the
Arab initiative failed to reach its goal, Turkey might reconsider tabling the
sanctions issue”, the sources said, adding that “Turkey is maintaining contacts
with the reluctant countries at the U.N. Security Council, mainly Brazil and
south Africa, to talk them into taking different positions”.
According to
the sources, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu voiced his country’s
readiness to impose a buffer zone along the border with Syria to protect
civilians; a move requiring Arab and international cover.
- Allouch:
To hell with the resistance
Al-Anbaa
daily quoted Future Movement official MP Mustafa Allouch on Monday as saying
that “the statement made by Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern
Affair Jeffrey D. Feltman is part of international warnings addressed to
Lebanon should the cabinet faill to commit to its international resolutions.”
Feltman said
earlier during a TV interview "If Lebanon is unable to pay its share of
the funding for the Special Tribunal, we're going to have to take some tough
decisions, and I think you're going to see some consequences in terms of the
US-Lebanese bilateral relationship.”
Allouch
confirmed that “it is very likely that the four suspects in Hariri’s killing
are the true perpetrators,” adding that “If the suspects committed the crime
under the name of the resistance, then to hell with this resistance. However,
it they perpetrated the crime under their own names, then Hezbollah should hand
them over immediately to exonerate itself of the responsibility.”
- Marouni:
Dialogue called for by Berri boosts state of stagnation
Kataeb MP
Elie Marouni told
Acharq Alawsat on Monday that “the dialogue called for by
Speaker Nabih Berri will boost the current state of stagnation and disruption
and will only meet the demands of March 8 for time until the picture of the
Syrian revolution is crystalized.”
Marouni
stressed that “March 14 forces, which have initially rejected to participate in
Hezbollah’s cabinet after it brought down Hariri’s government, reject today to
be a false witness to a dialogue that will likely not go beyond the selection
phase, often leading to empty discussions on Hezbollah’s arms and the defense
strategy.”
Marouni
confirmed that “March 14 has ever rejected dialogue, considering it as a
communication channel between the Lebanese amid the internal schism in
Lebanon”, adding that his political party is keen on dialogue and engages in
dialogue with strangers ,“so why would we reject such a move with compatriots?”
In his
concluding remarks, Marouni said that “the other party has never shown good
faith during dialogue, given the pressure it exerted on all sides as dialogues
sessions were ongoing.”
- Parliamentary
opposition sources: Mikati cabinet faces many pitfalls
Opposition
sources in the parliament told
al-Hayat daily on Monday that the Mikati cabinet
is facing many pitfalls, mainly its position on the STL funding.
The STL
survival will cost dearly amid the difficulties surrounding it, the sources
added.