DAILY SCOPE: Another ’Israeli’ Message in Support of Extremists

Local Editor

NEWSPAPERS HEADLINES:

AS-SAFIR:

"Israel" Playing with Fire: Two Air Raids in Zabadani, Qunaitra

Netanyahu Approves Building Hundreds of New Housing Units

AL-AKHBAR:

Three Syrian Martyrs in "Israeli" Raid: Borderlines Forecourt Only for Terrorists!

AN-NAHAR:

Landfills Whirlpool: Who Embeds Cabinet's Failure?

Paris Waits for Rouhani in November, Fabius Visit to Tehran Paves Way for Return of Companies

AL-JOMHOURIYA:

Fabius Agrees: Lebanon Events Linked to Syria

AD-DIYAR:

Lebanon Plunges in Chaos

Fabius in Tehran: We Respect Iran, Its Culture, Role throughout History

THE DAILYSTAR:

Mechanism Cloud Hangs over Cabinet

Lebanese newspapers on Thursday continued its follow-up on the waste management crisis in Lebanon, which has erupted the fury of the people as the streets and pavements of Beirut and Mount Lebanon swim garbage for the second week. Lebanese dailies related from sources that a solution will surface and take effect in three or four days, which remains news until implemented.

Again, an "Israeli" raid at the Lebanese-Syrian borders that took place on Wednesday killed two members of the Syrian defense forces. Also on the international level, the dailies touched on the Western ‘détente' with Iran, as officials race to Tehran resuming or seeking cooperation, with a clear change in the French approach that was demonstrated in a speech given by French President François Hollande at the Presidential palace at the beginning of this week. Papers also reflected on the visit of the French foreign minister to Iran and his invitation to Iranian President Rouhani to return the visit in coming November.

Waste management Crisis to See Solution Soon --- AL-AKHBAR

Lebanon's streets have been swimming in garbage for two weeks, with expectations that a solution to the waste management crisis will see light very soon as news circulates that tens of thousands of waste tons will be finally removed from the streets and squares of Beirut and Mount Lebanon. Papers remain skeptical on how the matter will be resolved.

Progressive Socialist Party chief MP Walid Jumblatt has allegedly expressed readiness to accept the dumping of around 2,000 tons out of 2,500 tons of waste in Dahr al-Baydar in return for stashing the rest of the garbage in the districts of Metn and Kesrouan.

Al-Akhbar daily said Thursday that 3,000 tons of waste are to be collected from Beirut, its suburbs, and the districts of Shouf, Aley, Baabda, Kesrouan and Metn daily. Sukleen treats around 500 tons while the rest are dumped in landfills.

A member of the waste management committee that has been holding consecutive meetings since the garbage crisis erupted earlier this month, said: "Jumblat guarantees the transfer of waste - around 2,000 tons - from Beirut, its suburbs, and the southern part of Mount Lebanon to Ain Dara."

"But the Christian parties should assume their responsibilities in guaranteeing a location to dump the remaining 500-ton garbage of Metn and Kesrouan in the two areas," the source told al-Akhbar.

Trash collection partially resumed in Beirut over the weekend, after an almost a week-long crisis as streets were overflowing with waste and the smell of rotting garbage filling the air.

The collection restarted after a temporary deal was found to begin taking trash to several landfills in undisclosed locations, which vented another problem where residents of these locations refused to accept the waste of Beirut and Mount Lebanon.

Meanwhile, in remarks to As-Safir daily, Jumblatt expressed concern over the fate of the cabinet, noting that the collapse of the cabinet would lead to a "reckless adventure" especially that the presidential elections are not looming in the horizon amid a failure to reach an agreement on a consensual candidate for presidency.

Rumors have been circulating that Salam would resign over the failure to bridge differences between the different parties and his inability to find a solution to the government's decision-making mechanism as well as the waste crisis.

"Israeli" Air Raid: A Support Message to the Extremists in Syria --- AL-BINAA

Well-informed sources told Lebanese Al-Binaa newspaper on Thursday that "Israel" wanted to send a dual-message to the resistance axis through the air raid it conducted on Wednesday in the Qunaitra area. The content of this message, according to the source implies that "Israel" is still present in the field, and that the strategic accomplishments made by this resistance axis in the different conflict areas such as Qalamoun, Zabadani, Qunaitra as well as the Golan Heights will not prevent "Israel" from being present in the Syrian formula.

According to the paper, the source further elaborated that "the raid holds another message from the "Israelis" to the terrorist armed groups this time, telling them that "Israel" supports them and stands by them, in an attempt to raise their morale and reassuring it will provide help at times of need."

Nevertheless, the sources pointed out that "when it comes to military evaluation, the ‘Israeli' aggression did not change anything in the current scenario, be it on the southern front where the terrorist groups have lost ground or on the Zabadani-Qalamoun front which is considered militarily as ‘terminated'."

An "Israeli" plane hit a car inside the town of Hader, killing two men from the popular committee forces in the town. Hader, a Druze village that lies along the ceasefire line, with the "Israeli"-occupied portion of the Golan Heights plateau to the west, and the border with the Damascus province to the northeast.

Rebel fighters surrounded the village of Hader on June 17 after fierce clashes with Syria's National Defense Forces in the area.

International Community Practical Support for Lebanon Required --- AL-JOMHOURIYA

Al-Jomhouriya Lebanese daily quoted a high-ranking politician as saying that had the international community interpreted its love for Lebanon with practical support for the Lebanese army and serious pressure to elect a president for the Lebanese republic rather than calling the Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Salam to talk him out of resigning, Lebanon would have been in its best shape now.

The politician remorsefully added, "I do not know if the concern of the international community is seriously related to the well-being of Lebanon and its institutions, or rather if it springs from fear for the fate of refugees in Lebanon in case it was hit by the regional fever of wars."

Lately, Prime Minister Tammam Salam has stressed that he will not resign despite growing political and environmental crises that are threatening to spiral out of control. According to sources, his decision might have come as a result of pressure exerted by top diplomats not to make any decision with regards to his resignation over fears that the country's crises would worsen.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team