Pope to Beirut, Country Enters Vacation
The Lebanese state is preparing to enter in Easter's vacation leaving behind open files that do not know rest.
After two weeks of relief, major titles are to be present on the political menu that will include in addition to appointments: oil files, electricity, and health security.
However, the political and security circles were busy Wednesday discussing the new security development manifested by a so-called an attempt to assassinate Head of Lebanese Forces Samir Geagea.
Assassinating Geagea: Tale or Fact?
Geagea claimed Wednesday that he was the victim of an assassination attempt at his Maarab residence.
During a press conference, he presented what "as-Safir" Lebanese daily described as "Holly Wood tale" claiming that "as he was taking a pretty flower in his garden, he leaned over to pick a flower soon after which he heard loud gunshots."
The "LF" head added that he threw himself on the ground as his security personnel came to his aid.
According to "an-Nahar", "sniper bullets were launched from Dlebta thick forest i.e. from a distance of not less than 1500 meters from Maarab."
Meanwhile, as "al-Akhbar" daily wondered "if the assassination attempt was a fact or a game," "March 14" forces, on top of whom is the "victim" Geagea, politically exploited the incident.
"I have always said that assassination attempts are a message to the would-be victim, but this time the assailants wanted the attack to be the final message," said Geagea.
For their part, "March 14" forces called the Lebanese Prime Minister
Najib Mikati to refer the "assassination attempt" to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.
Mikati refused to comment on the proposal announcing that he asked Lebanese judges to "immediately start working on revealing the circumstances of the incident."
The PM also claified, in an inerview with "an-Nahar" newspaper, that he "called Geagea by phone following the incident and reassured him that the security forces are following up on the issue."
On the political front, Lebanese House Speaker Nabih Berri held a meeting with President Michel Suleiman at the Baabda Palace on Wednesday.
The two stressed the importance of implementing the executive steps swiftly to benefit from the natural resources.
However, Berri described the government's performance as a "turtle on oil wealth" stressing "the importance of enhancing its work on all levels."
Lebanon into Gas Era
On another level, Lebanon is expected to enter the "Gas Era" as the government adopted Tuesday the gas project that allows establishing a coastal pipeline from Deir Ammar to Tyre.
According to "as-Safir" "pipes in the sea will be established parallel to those that will be extended in the land."
"The project aims after its completion to achieve a savings in the cost of electricity production, estimated at one billion dollars annually, i.e. the value of the difference between the use of fuel oil and natural gas in production plants," the paper clarified noting that "the pipelines will provide gas to homes."
In this context, Energy minister Gibran Bassil hailed the project considering it "the backbone of strategic power in Lebanon as it allows the use of gas instead of liquid oil."
"This project qualifies Lebanon to the stage of exploring oil and gas in the territorial waters, as it provides channels for transfer of oil derivatives," he added noting that "it will also connect Lebanon to the oil network as well as to that of Arab, Asia, Turkey and Iraq."
The minister further stressed that "this project might turn Lebanon to a regional center for gas, if we discovered oil in our water or our land."
Lebanon Prepares for Pope's Visit
In parallel, the Lebanese state is preparing to issue separate statements on the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Lebanon.
Highly informed sources revealed to "as-Safir" that "the statements will be issued on Sunday to announce the pope's visit to Lebanon in mid-September and his major stops, including a mass that will be held in downtown Beirut."
"The Pope will make a historic speech at Baabda Palace about the Vatican's viewpoint on the situation of Christians in Lebanon and the east, including their ties with other religions," the sources said.
They also pointed out that "the pope will personally hand over copies of the apostolic exhortation to the spiritual leaders to show them that relations of fate and life between Christians and Muslims in the Middle East are interlinked."
Source: Lebanese newspapers, Translated and Edited by moqawama.org
