DAILY SCOPE: Terrorist Group Plotting to Target Speaker Berri, Future Bloc MPs

Local Editor

NEWSPAPERS HEADLINES:

ASSAFIR:

"Mechanism" Disagreement: Berri Warns, Salam Annoyed and Rai Exerts Pressure

"Khorasan" Organization Appears with Assassinations Plot?

AN-NAHAR:

Cabinet Back to Its Old Mechanism

Disruption Delays Oil Decrees?

AL-MUSTAQBAL:

Army Receives Today Jordanian Donation, 30 Tanks and 12 Cannons

THE DAILYSTAR:

Turkish Forces Enter Syria, Evacuate Troops

Lebanese newspapers on Monday 23-02-2015 tackled different domestic issues, focusing on the developments in light of the ongoing presidential impasse, where security threats are on the rise amid the unbalanced domestic environment with the country trying to find its way out of the hurdles through dialogue and coordination.

Well-informed sources told as-Safir newspaper it has received security reports warning of a possible attack to the Future Bloc MPs. According to the source, an obscure group called "Khorasan" is allegedly plotting to assassinate Lebanese Speaker Nabih Berri as well as lawmakers affiliated to al-Mustaqbal Movement in an attempt to topple the dialogue between the party and Hizbullah.

Security sources told the daily that the group, comprised of four or five fighters, is planning to carry out the attacks to hit the dialogue between the party and Hizbullah and to create a sectarian strife between Shiites and Sunnis in Lebanon.

Also on cabinet issues, as-Safir reported that Prime Minister Tammam Salam is expected on Monday to resume his contacts with the parties represented in his cabinet to agree on a new formula to regulate the government's work after the rift between them prevented a session for the second week in a row.

Informed sources told as-Safir that Salam has expressed frustration at the criticism directed at his proposal to change the mechanism, which requires the unanimous support from all the ministers on the cabinet decisions.

The daily quoted Salam as saying upon his return from a private visit to Rome that he "will continue his consultations with the political parties to settle the discussion on the possibility to change the current mechanism."

On another domestic issue, an-Nahar newspaper touched on the oil exploration file. According to the paper, Head of the parliamentary energy committee MP Mohammed Qabbani stressed that the reason behind the delay in exploring Lebanon's offshore gas and oil exploration is technical impediments and other unannounced interests as officials are at loggerheads over the demarcation of the 10 maritime oil exploration blocks.

"We have agreed to open the tenders for three blocks as a first step, but the main obstacles impeding the process remains the adoption of the petroleum decrees," Qabbani said in comments published in An-Nahar newspaper on Monday.

Qabbani pointed out that the exploration of Lebanon's natural wealth is still awaiting the endorsement of a decree, which tackles the demarcation of the 10 maritime oil blocks, and touches on the division of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to several blocks that are not entirely equal. Also another decree, which is linked to setting up a revenue-sharing model, tackles the contracts signed with the international companies, stressing as well that a tax law should be issued.

The MP said that the comments of the ministry of energy on the two decrees are almost finalized, and awaiting for the cabinet's approval, expressing optimism over the near endorsement of the two decrees by the government.

Lebanon is seeking to renew the interest of international companies in offshore oil exploration despite the stalling of the government in issuing licensing, in an attempt to preserve Lebanon's riches amid reports on "Israeli" theft of Lebanese natural resources.

Meanwhile, the Daily Star highlighted that Turkish forces swept into Syria overnight to rescue about 40 soldiers who had been surrounded for months by ISIS militants while guarding the tomb of a revered Turkish figure. Damascus described the operation as an act of "flagrant aggression" and said it would hold Ankara responsible for the repercussions.

The action, which involved tanks, drones and reconnaissance planes as well as several hundred ground troops, was the first incursion by Turkish troops into Syria since the start of the war. The military said no clashes took place during the operation although one soldier was killed in an accident.

Source: al-Ahed news