DAILY SCOPE: Lebanon Fifth Dialogue in Progress, Fourth Basin Starts Strike

Local Editor

NEWSPAPERS HEADLINES:

AN-NAHAR:

Tense Atmosphere Besieges Fifth Dialogue Round

Gero in Beirut and Saudi Kingdom Reassures Lebanese

ASSAFIR:
Annual Revenue $219 Million...Losses of Strike One Million

State "Sinks" in Beirut's Fourth Basin!

THE DAILYSTAR:

Cabinet's Survival Not Threatened By Incidents

Lebanese newspapers on Tuesday focused on a domestic issue that needs sorting out as the port authorities took the decision to resume work in the fourth basin which prompted a syndicate of truck drivers to launch an open-ended strike on Monday.

Also, papers continue to discuss the Hizbullah-Future party dialogue, which is on the run, at the time the Lebanese army carries on with its confrontation to the smuggling of terrorist extremists to Lebanon through the Syrian borders.

Touching on the security level, al-Akhbar Lebanese daily pointed out that Shadi al-Mawlawi, Lebanon's most wanted fugitive is still hiding out in Ain al-Helwe refugee camp, and is not in the outskirts of the northeastern borders with the extremist terrorists.

In remarks to al-Akhbar, Interior Minister Nuhad al-Mashnouq said that the fugitive Mawlawi, was not on the outskirts of Arsal mignlign with al-Nusra front militants as he had previously clamied.

The minister said his previous assertion was based on an accurate security source.
Mawalwi, a high profile fugitive who was sentenced to death in absentia last year has been puzzling investigators since fleeing his hometown of Tripoli.

On another note, the truckers syndicate at the Port of Beirut launched an open-ended strike Monday to pressure the government to permanently halt a controversial project that critics say could jeopardize 1,500 jobs. The state-run National News Agency said the port's entrances were closed, stopping all activities of loading and unloading and transportation of merchandise in and out of the facility.

The source said the strike is open-ended until the Cabinet discusses a project to fill the port's fourth basin. The project is mostly opposed to by Christian parties, including rivals Lebanese Forces and Free Patriotic Movement.

On this note, as-Safir newspaper said that Education Minister Elias Bou Saab has said that Prime Minister Tammam Salam pledged to resolve the controversy on the fourth basin at Beirut Port. Bou Saab and Maronite Bishop Boulos Sayyah visited Salam at the Grand Serail on Monday to pressure him into finding a solution to the project to fill the basin.

Their visit came after the truckers syndicate at Beirut Port closed indefinitely the entrance to the facility pending a solution by the government to the controversial project.

According to the source, the project will give more space to store containers. But there are fears that transforming the Port of Beirut into a transshipment hub would direct large vessels to the Port of Tripoli because the fourth basin will no longer be able to accept big cargo ships.

Bou Saab, according to as-Safir, said Prime Minister Salam pledged to resolve the problem without damaging the current strategy or harming public interest. The minister ruled out putting the issue on the cabinet's agenda.
Meanwhile, the fifth round of dialogue between Hizbullah and Future party officials will be preceded by an "important" meeting for Future parliamentary bloc after the controversy that erupted following Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's speech, an-Nahar daily reported on Tuesday.

The newspaper said that the "importance" of the bloc's meeting on Tuesday lies in setting a stance from the "latest developments."

Also, an-Nahar daily quoted ministerial sources as saying that the purpose behind the dialogue was and still is achieving calm and finding common aspects between the two sides.

"There is a decision by both parties to continue the dialogue" despite the tension, the sources added.

Source: al-Ahed news