DAILY SCOPE: Pollution Hits Wheat, Sugar

Local Editor

NEWSPAPERS HEADLINES:

AL-AKHBAR:

All Captives in the Hands of Daesh
 
AN-NAHAR:

Daesh Demands Establishing a ‘State' Within the To States
Moscow: US Sanctions Impede Cooperation in Syria

AS-SAFIR:

Rats, Birds Race for Lebanese Wheat!
Tons of spoiled Sugar in Tripoli Port, Fancy Restaurants Polluted

AL-LIWAA:

Daesh through Mediator: Lives of Soldiers In Return for Securing Wadi Hmayed Area

Lebanese papers on Wednesday dealt with the Lebanese army hostages file which remains in the hands of the abductors. Also, the issue of food corruption surfaced again, this time in the Beirut and Tripoli ports, where the wheat is damaged and sugar polluted.

On the regional level, the papers as always focus on the Syrian crisis.

As-Safir newspaper noted on Wednesday that the file of food corruption made headlines once again, wondering whether such a corrupt state can still find the guaranteed solutions to the problem. The paper noted that Health Minister Wael Abu Faour had contacted Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi on Tuesday, suggesting to set up a general prosecution body for the health sector which can follow up on the food security file.

Faour told as-Safir newspaper that its not only corruption that exists, but a total fallout to the state system, which requires a serious state of emergency. He called on Lebanese House Speaker Nabih Berri to call for a parliamentary session to discuss not only the food corruption issue but also the collapse of the entire system which has given space to such phenomenon to appear.

Abou Faour stressed on Tuesday after a second round of inspection for the wheat silos in Beirut's Port that some enhancements were made, revealing that the file will be referred to the judiciary. He also uncovered that in Tripoli port, there are 700 tons of expired sugar ready to be didtributed over the regions.

"Those who are responsible will be held accountable," Abou Faour said during a joint press conference with Agriculture Minister Akram Shehayeb and Economy Minister Alain Hakim.
"The improvements made since the Health Ministry's inspection teams first visit on December 10 are not enough," the Minister remarked.

Abou Faour further added that "enhancements that took place cannot protect the Lebanese," noting "A large number of birds is found, which facilitates the transfer of germs... The trucks moving the wheat are not in a better condition."
In December, Abou Faour announced that there are major violations at the wheat silos, saying ""The Lebanese are sharing their food with pigeons and rats."

For its part, al-Akhbar newspaper said that Daesh extremist group has demanded the establishment of a non-arms zone in a vast area in the Arsal outskirts, the providing of medical equipment for a modern hospital and a fully-prepared medicine store, as well as releasing all female prisoners. The families of the abducted soldiers demanded that Daesh issue an official statement in which it names its direct mediator on the case.

Sheikh Wissam al-Masri had announced Tuesday after a brief visit to the so-called Islamic State militants in Arsal's outskirts that the group is demanding a border "buffer zone" to "protect" Syrian refugees in the area as well as a "hospital" for treating the wounded and the release of women prisoners from Lebanese jails.
"I met with the Islamic State officials in charge of the file of captives," Masri said at the Riad al-Solh Square after meeting the families of the Lebanese servicemen held by the IS and the Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front.

They demanded "protecting Syrian refugees from Hizbullah's recurrent attacks against them in Lebanon through the creation of a buffer zone stretching from Wadi Hmeid to Tufail's outskirts to Arsal," Masri added.

On Saturday, the Lebanese army took a decision prohibiting anyone from moving from the Bekaa border town of Arsal to its mountainous outskirts without prior permission from the military institutions. The new measures are aimed at preventing Syria-based militants from infiltrating Lebanon's border, according to an army statement.

The second demand is "providing equipment for a modern hospital along with a complete medicines storehouse for the treatment of the wounded and the sick," said Masri, adding that the IS also wants Lebanese authorities to release from jail "all women held in connection with the Syrian conflict."

Masri also revealed that he has received a pledge from the extremist group that it would "refrain from killing or harming any serviceman as long as the negotiations are underway," warning on IS behalf that "Any closure of the Wadi Hmayed checkpoint would subject the servicemen to death."

Masri told an-Nahar that the office of Lebanese General Security Head Abbas Ibrahim's office contacted him, when he delivered the message of Daesh. He also told the paper that he only met officials from the so-called "ISIL" but not from al-Nusra Front. For its part, ministerial sources told an-Nahar it took the right decision when it did not assign any official mediator. Had it done that at the time Daesh issued their demands, it would have been a catastrophe.