DAILY SCOPE: Dialogue on Safe Road to Alleviate Sectarian Tension

Local Editor

NEWSPAPERS HEADLINES:

AS-SAFIR:

Girault Sinks in Presidential File
Dialogue Trespasses Gunfire and "Disturbance"

AN-NAHAR:
Girauld Calls to Protect Lebanon from Slipping into Wars

AL-MUSTAQBAL:
"Mechanism" on Cabinet's Table ; Round Five of Dialogue Dwells on Rejecting Random Shooting

AL-AKHBAR:

Most Serious Sessions in Ain Tineh

AL-JOMHOURIA:
Berri: Dialogue on Right Path

Lebanese newspapers on Wednesday tackled the dialogue between Hizbullah and the Future party after the fifth session was held on Tuesday. Also, papers shed light on the Jordanian pilot who was burned alive by Daesh terrorist extremists, which according to the papers proves anew the savageness of these groups.

The fifth dialogue session between Hizbullah and the Future Movement took place on Tuesday in Ain el-Tineh, with talks touching on a number of issues with frankness and a sense of responsibility.

Conferees welcomed the steps to remove pictures and posters [of political figures and factions] in Beirut and other areas. They also discussed the preparations for the completion of the security plan. On another note, participants confirmed their rejection to shooting in all events and over all Lebanese territory, whatever the justification.

As-Safir newspaper wrote on Wednesday that "Amid ongoing presidential void, the fifth session of dialogue took place between Hizbullah and the Future movement in presence of the Minister Ali Hassan Khalil, in which the conferees continued to discuss means of alleviating sectarian tension, leaving no room for any impact to the rumors spread by some March 14 members on negative atmosphere resulting from the Resistance's Shebaa operation and the latest speech of Hzibullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.

Well-informed sources told as-Safir that the fifth session was designted to discuss all matters calmly, frankly, and responsibly. The sources noted that the talks of the fifth session remained focused on how to alleviate sectarian tension and put the security plan into effect.

The two sides agreed ultimately on having all political slogans and posters removed from the streets and highways, as well as banning gunfire on occasions and ceremonies, underscoring that such a step is of major importance and will have direct impact on the situation in the country.
According to the source, political posters and slogans are considered as sacred by many citizens, and the attempt of Hizbullah, Future party and the Amal movement to remove these and strictly ban any political signs around the streets and public places is for true indication to the seriousness of the sides in easing sectarian tensions.

Also, as-Safir pointed out that Speaker Nabih Berri had stressed that the road to the dialogue between Hizbullah and the Future party is "safe" despite concerns following Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's latest speech.

Berri told his visitors on Tuesday that the dialogue has not stopped and will go ahead in implementing the decisions reached between the two parties.
"The path to dialogue is safe," Berri stressed to his visitors in the remarks published in as-Safir, accentuating "Nasrallah's latest stance safeguarded Lebanon."

On another note, Director of the Department of the Middle East and North Africa at the French Foreign Ministry Jean-François Girault held a wide meeting on Tuesday evening with the representatives of the March 14 alliance, said al-Jomhouria newspaper on Wednesday.

Sources told the daily that the French diplomat "didn't talk about any deadlines or a roadmap to elect a new head of state," but "he was keen to stress the importance of being ready to benefit from any regional and international breakthrough."

"His tour aims at encouraging the Lebanese to take a bold initiative and elect a new president... as there is no solution but to make the election of a president a made in Lebanon matter," the sources reported.
The sources underlined the importance of the meeting that Girault will hold with Hizbullah international relations officer Ammar Moussawi.

An-Nahar newspaper, on the same note, reported that Girault informed Lebanese officials during his meetings a message from French President Francois Hollande stressing the importance "of aiding Lebanon and following up its crises."

The visiting French diplomat kicked off on Tuesday a two-day official visit to Lebanon. He so far met with Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Tammam Salam, former President Michel Suleiman and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil.
Girault's visit comes in light of France's insistence to resolve the presidential deadlock in Lebanon and ease the tension.

On the presidential elections, head of the Democratic Gathering MP Walid Jumblat expressed distress over the ongoing presidential stalemate as the Lebanese no longer sense the vacuum at the state's higher post due to the rift between the Christians.

He pointed out in an interview with al-Akhbar newspaper published on Wednesday that the Lebanese are more concerned with the daily crises.
Jumblat stressed that the controversial presidential deadlock should be resolved in Lebanon. Asked about the security situation along Lebanon's southern border following the Hizbullah retaliation in the Shebaa farms to the "Israeli" aggression on Lebanon that took place in the Golan's Qunaitra, Jumblat considered Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's response to be adequate.

As on the regional level, the Lebanese dailies touched on the savage killing of the Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kassasbeh, who was burned alive by Daesh terrorists.
Supporters of the so-called "ISIL" insurgent group circulated photos on social media on Tuesday to show captive Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kassasbeh being burnt alive. In a swift reply to the savage act, Jordan has executed [by hanging] a jailed Iraqi woman militant whose release had been demanded by the so-called Islamic State group that burnt the pilot.

Responding to the killing of the pilot, whose death was announced on Tuesday, the Jordanian authorities also executed another senior al-Qaeda prisoner sentenced to death for plots to wage attacks against the pro-Western kingdom in the last decade.

Sajida al-Rishawi, the Iraqi woman militant, was sentenced to death for her role in a 2005 suicide bomb attack that killed 60 people. Ziyad Karboli, an Iraqi al-Qaeda operative, who was convicted in 2008 for killing a Jordanian, was also executed at dawn, the source said.

Source: Lebanese dailies