DAILY SCOPE: US Using Lebanon as Pressure Card on ’Israel’?

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ASSAFIR:

World Busy, Inside Divided and Vacuum National Crisis

Obama Rejects Fighting ISIL with al-Assad

Al-Zabadani: Foiling al-Nusra Attack

AL-AKHBAR:

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AL-JOMHOURIYA

Warnings from Resorting to the Street

Nuclear Negotiations and Zero Hour

Lebanese newspapers on Tuesday 7 July 2015 shed light on the torture case that took place in Lebanon's notorious Roumieh prison, which was conducted by Security Forces personnel two weeks ago. Also, the different viewpoints on the current governmental situation, the possibility of street protests, further reasons behind the visit of Amos Hochstein, the Special Envoy and Coordinator for International Energy Affairs as well as the Iranian nuclear talks were topics of discussion in Lebanese dailies.

Why Did Hochstein Come to Lebanon?! --- AL-JOMHOURIYA

Al-Jomhouriya newspaper on Wednesday chose to focus on the issue of Lebanese natural gas, questioning the motives that stand behind the visit of the US envoy Amos Hochstein to Lebanon in beginning of the current month.

According to sources concerned with the oil and gas sectors in the Mediterranean, Hochstein has come to Lebanon for reasons that can be summed up in a major conclusion; the US wants to pressure the "Israeli" government following "Israeli" annulment of a deal signed with ‘Noble Energy' American company for oil exploration. The mentioned company, according to the source, has been responsible for almost all the allegedly "Israeli" maritime oil and gas exploration.

Sources said that as soon as the contract was signed between "Israel" and the US Company, and under "Israeli" demand, the exploration process was going fast and Noble Energy along with another "Israeli" company had monopoly over the exploration process. Yet, according to sources, the "Israelis" soon interfered to change two major conditions in the contract with the company: First, "Israel" withdrew the right it gave the US Company to a proportion of 70% of exploration permits. Second, "Israel" decided to decrease its set of new taxes on the prices of gas extracted by the company including the VAT.

In a move to settle the situation, al-Jomhouriya said that the US, through its envoy to Lebanon Amos Hochstein, strives to pressure the "Israeli" government, namely since Noble Energy has invested tremendous amounts of money in the exploration projects and will not retreat or back up like other companies have done.

According to the paper, the plan is to basically convey the sense that Beirut is closing in on the demarcation of maritime borders' and the exploration of oil with US help, which worries Tel Aviv.

Terrorist Groups Attacks are Nothing But ‘Parade' --- AS-SAFIR

As-Safir field sources denied rumors saying that the Syrian army has retreated due to a counter-attack launched by the terrorist groups in Zabadani. The sources explained that ‘al-Nusra front and Ahrarul Sham launched an attack on the area towards the strait, al-Tal fortress and the entrance of the city."

The source further assured that the Syrian army is still making advances in the area. In addition, it said that the ‘attack' purported by the armed groups is nothing but a ‘parade', especially since the area where they're located is very limited and encircled by Syrian army forces.

The Islamic Resistance's Mujahidin and the Syrian army closed in on Syrian terrorist factions Monday in central Zabadani as they cautiously advanced to take control of the last town occupied by the groups in the Qalamoun region near the Lebanese border. Battles Sunday, which broke through four axes in Zabadani, inflicted heavy casualties on the militants.

The capture of the town would add to the Resistance's recent major field victories, which saw the party take large swaths of the Qalamoun hills since its offensive, backed by the Syrian army, began in the region last May.

Source: Al-Ahed News, Edited by website team