DAILY SCOPE: Future-Hizbullah Dialogue Towards Presidential File

NEWSPAPERS HEADLINES:

ASSAFIR:

Nasrallah Hails Hariri's Position...Powerful State Dehind "ISIS"

"Political Security" Confronts Terrorism... and "Captured Soldiers" Negotiations Ongoing

AL-AKHBAR: 

Beirut to Damascus: No Visa...Measures Continue

AN-NAHAR:

Brital after Roumyeh: Security Plan Domino

Third Round of Dialogue towards Presidential File

THE DAILYSTAR:

 
Kahwaji Vows to Eradicate Terrorists from Lebanon

Lebanese newspapers on Thursday 15-1-2015 tackled different topics, most outstanding among those were the major stances of Hizbullah Secretary General His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, which will be aired in detail in an interview with al-Mayadeen channel today. Papers also focused on the third round of talks taking place between Future party and Hizbullah as well as the security situation in Lebanon.

As-Safir newspaper wrote that Future party and Hizbullah will hold a meeting on Friday, an event which so far has achieved much on alleviating the security situation. This dialogue, according to the paper has good impact on the situation, especially both sides are trying to contain the situation and the tension resulting from the latest Tripoli suicide attacks. As for the abducted soldiers' case, Prime Minister Tammam Salam headed on Wednesday a meeting to the ‘crisis cell', where it dealt with the latest developments on the issue in light of the operation that was conducted in Roumieh prison.

Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq told as-Safir on Thursday that security is under control in spite of the breaches that occur from time to time, describing negotiations with Islamist gunmen to free the captive servicemen as "serious."
"All security forces are on full alert to safeguard the country and confront threats," Mashnouq said in comments published in as-Safir newspaper.

He pointed out that negotiations with al-Qaida-affiliate al-Nusra Front and the "ISIL" group are ongoing and serious, downplaying the impact of the operation that was carried out at Roumieh prison on the course of talks to free the hostages.

"There is no reason for the operation at Roumieh to have repercussions on the negotiations as the inmates were not harmed, on the contrary they were transferred to a cleaner block."

The terrorists had launched threats on the backdrop of the Roumieh operation, as detainees were transferred from block B where the so-called "Islamists" were being held after an investigation suggested that the recent suicide bombing in the northern city of Tripoli was directed from the facility. The prisoners were transferred to block D, which has been renovated and has better security.

Concerning entry measures against Syrians, Mashnouq told al-Akhbar newspaper that the state will not back down on its decision. "The entry restrictions are not visas but merely new rules to regulate the entrance of Syrians who are not refugees into Lebanon," the minister stressed.

Mashnouq noted that General Security chief Major General Abbas Ibrahim clarified to Syrian authorities the reasons behind the measures. "The Syrians expressed understanding."

Starting October, the government said Lebanon would stop accepting displaced Syrians, with exceptions on humanitarian grounds only. The new rules raise the prospect of Syrians being unable to flee the violence that has killed more than 200,000 people since March 2011.

An-Nahar, for its part, obtained information that the next round of Future-Hizbullah talks will focus on the details and criteria of electing a president for Lebanon. This comes after the two sides had agreed on a security plan in the previous session, where the two sides agreed that the security forces should carry on with their security plan including the Beqaa valley.

On the security level,al-Binaa newspaper reported Interior minister al-Mashnouq as well saying that the security forces have confiscated equipment from the Block B building in Roumieh prison, and found evidence of communication between the Islamist prisoners and the terrorist suicide bombers of Jabal Mohsen, noting that the security forces found a well-equipped operations room that has developed equipment. Despite the achievement, the paper said that threat still looms in the horizon.