DAILY SCOPE: Lebanon in Negative Atmosphere, No Clear Solutions in Horizon

Local Editor

NEWSPAPERS HEADLINES:

ASSAFIR:

Jumblatt: No Exceptions for any terrorist in Swap Deal
Dulaimi Enters and Leaves Bared Camp Owing to Virtual Marriage
Washington Sets Training Centers for Fighters in Jordan

AL-AKHBAR: 

Military Institution Will Proceed with its Measures: Cut Off Supply to Terrorists

THE DAILYSTAR:

Salam set to meet Hollande as French arms deal advancesCalls for revenge at funeral of Abu Ain: Palestine

Lebanese newspapers on Friday, the 12th of December 2014 discussed several topics includingthe latest developments on the Lebanese army abductees, the presidential elections, as well as the files of Lebanese oil and equipping the Lebanese army.

Regionally, the latest military and political developments in the Syrian crisis were in the limelight.

As-Safir newspaper for its part, and like every day, reminds the Lebanese how long has it been for their country with presidential vacuum. "Lebanon remains without president for the day 202 in a row," wrote the paper.

Negative atmosphere, according to the paper, dominates on the file of presidential elections and that of the abducted soldiers.

Except for news about a possible meeting in Rabieh between head of the Change and Reform Bloc Michel Aoun and Head of the Lebanese Forces Samir Geagea, the major impression looming is that the horizon for presidential elections is still bolted.

Also, the same negative atmosphere is seen in the file of the Lebanese army hostages remaining in the hands of Daesh and Isil, in absence of any serious foreign mediation and as the "Muslim Scholar Committee" did not grant any official assignment as negotiator.

According to the paper, the dialogue between Hizbullah and the Future party seems to have been postponed until after the holidays. Also, As-Safir noted that the information on "Israeli" probable theft of Lebanese offshore oil has shocked concerned political medium inside and outside Lebanon. "Israel" has contracted the French company Karish for the excavations.

In comments published by the Lebanese al-Akhbar newspaper on Monday, Lebanese Speaker Nabih Berri said that "Israel" had begun siphoning gas from one of Lebanon's maritime reserves close to its southern border with the occupied Palestinian territories.

The Lebanese parliament speaker said that he had received the "almost confirmed" information from an unnamed "international scientist."

Expressing astonishment at the government's "lack of interest" in dealing with the country's gas resources, Berri pledged to raise the issue of licensing for offshore gas exploration at the start of the next year.

On the case of the army abducted soldiers, Head of the Socialist Progressive Party Walid Jumblatt, told as-Safir that there should be an unconditioned swap, iterating "I agree on what Lebanese Speaker Nabih Berri said, when he touched on the importance of an unconditioned swap deal. I understand his stance in light of the need to bring the families of the hostages, the hostages and the country out from this tempest and release the country from this closed sphere."

He also highlighted the ongoing competition between the different sides and authorities in the case of the abducted soldiers, which according to Jumblatt is contrary to the required unity on such a file.

Also, As-Safir quoted foreign sources that President Obama's top adviser overseeing the coalition fighting the Islamic State said Thursday US officials are "very closely" monitoring the possible spread of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's extremist movement beyond Syria and Iraq, especially as international efforts ramp up toward confronting the group in those two nations.

"We are keeping close tabs on other groups that may swear fealty ultimately to Baghdadi ... and to the organization, which then gives them, in essence, a franchise reach into other areas of the globe as far away as East Asia," said retired US Marine Gen. John Allen, the president's special envoy for the global coalition fighting the  ISIL.

"We have to be very attentive, through social media and through other means of communications to the long reach of [Islamic State] beyond the simple terrestrial reach," Mr. Allen told an audience at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. "We're attentive to Saudi Arabia, we're attentive to equilibrium in Jordan, certainly in Turkey and Lebanon and we watch it very closely."

For its part, an-Nahar newspaper wrote that the caretaker Prime Minister Tamam Salam crowns his official visit to Paris on Friday by meeting the French President Francois Hollande, amid increasing signs of French patronage to the Lebanese political and diplomatic matters through taking care of the presidential void, and on the security and military levels through equipping the Lebanese army, since it has become clear that the Saudi endowment to the Lebanese army will take effect soon.

An-Nahar daily obtained information that the French President will explain ‘the roadmap' to PM Salam, on how to help the Lebanese people reach consensus on the presidential elections file, which is the most sensitive and effective file that has direct impact on the security of Lebanon as a state.

Also, the Daily Star noted that Salam will meet French President Francois Hollande Friday on the third day of an official visit to Paris, as a Lebanese delegation irons out the details of a Saudi-funded French arms package for Lebanon's Army. Defense Minister Samir Moqbel and high-ranking Lebanese Army officers discussed with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian Thursday the details the arms package, which is being funded through a $3 billion grant from Saudi Arabia.

Moqbel said the mechanism for the delivery of the weapons was nearing agreement, adding that the final list of requested arms would be sent to Saudi Arabia, which would then approve it before the end of January at the latest.

The paper as well said the talks that took place on Thursday between Interior and Municipalities Minister, Nouhad Mashnouk and Matthew Spence, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for Middle East Policy, dealt majorly with the Saudi one billion worth endowment to the Lebanese army and security forces in addition to increasing the number of special forces entitled to train the army.

As for al-Akhbar newspaper, it quoted security and military sources saying that the terrorists occupying Arsal outskirts are still benefiting from a major gap in the area, which is the presence of displaced Syrians in Arsal and around the Syrian borders. The Lebanese army, outside the military zone, allows the delivery of food supply and aid to the camp where the displaced reside.

Due to this gap which enforces the terrorists, the sources said the army will start to include the camp in the security zone which will be scrutinized rather than remain open.

Source: al-Ahed news