DAILY SCOPE: Abducted Soldiers’ File Unresolved, Cabinet in Paralysis
Local Editor
NEWSPAPER HEADLNES:
AL-AKHBAR:
Wasting 30 Million Dollars: Telecoms
AS-SAFIR:
Palestinian Donation Foils Strategy of ‘Managing the Conflict'
Al-Quds Deprived of Its People; Netanyahu to Retreat or Flee Forward!
AN-NAHAR:
Waste Crisis Management in Progress, Attempts to Refresh Settlement
AL-JOMHOURIA:
A Week of Dialogue Par Excellence
Lebanese newspapers on 5 October 2015 dealt with the latest developments on the domestic and regional levels, especially the accelerating events in Occupied Palestine and the "Israeli" violations committed against the Palestinians. Also, papers followed up on the Russian air raids in Syria as they continues to target terrorist groups in different areas. Also, papers shed light on the different domestic issues that remain unresolved up to the moment, including the cabinet paralysis and the waste crisis.
AN-NAHAR: Dialogue Is Oxygen We Breathe: Berri
Lebanese House Speaker Nabih Berri echoed that the national dialogue would collapse in the absence of Change and Reform bloc chief MP Michel Aoun, describing the talks as "Oxygen."
In remarks to his visitors, Berri said: "The obstruction of dialogue by any side is similar to blocking itself in a room."
"We only have the dialogue left and it's the oxygen we are breathing," An-Nahar Lebanese daily quoted Berri as saying.
Berri has set three days of all-party talks that start on Tuesday.
He said a settlement reached between several officials on the military promotions had been paralyzed by some parties who claimed that the appointment of a new Internal Security Forces chief was among the items included in the deal.
The rival leaders attending the dialogue "made a breakthrough last week," said Berri, adding all the parties backed a waste management plan that has been proposed by Agriculture Minister Akram Shehayyeb.
Berri also reiterated that he will not accept to discuss any issue before resolving the garbage crisis and the implementation of the plan, which was approved by the cabinet last month.
"The authorities should put the plan into action even if there are objections to it because garbage has invaded Lebanon and winter is at our doorsteps," he said.
AS-SAFIR: Maritime File Still Unresolved
Well-informed sources told As-Safir newspaper on Monday that there should be an exit that would allow the international order to participate in settling the disputed maritime file with "Israel" based on UN resolution 1701 and on the basis of respecting Lebanon's sovereignty and rights in maritime borders and oil riches.
According to the source, the UN continues to be very careful in dealing with this file because it does not wish to open other files elsewhere, as there are about 200 potential maritime boundaries that remain unsettled in the world.
Speaker Nabih Berri stressed many times that Lebanon has the right to preserve its natural resources, urging officials to speed up deals with foreign companies to drill for oil and gas in the country's Exclusive Economic Zone.
AL-JOMHOURIA: Families of Abducted Soldiers Escalate, Head to the Street
The file of the Lebanese abducted soldiers is back in the limelight, as their families pour into the streets once again and threaten to escalate if no new information is obtained on the fate of their relatives who have been in the hands of the terrorist groups in Syria since last August.
Hussein Youssef, representative of the families told al-Jomhouria newspaper that the cabinet is dealing lightly with the file of the abducted soldiers, and that the crisis cell is not putting its utmost efforts to release them.
Sources close to the crisis cell for their part told al-Jomhouria on Monday that there are no new developments that require holding a meeting, and that the affair is still stuck in the hands of the al-Nusra front terrorist group, which has halted the release of the abducted servicemen for its own interests.
It should be noted that the Lebanese soldiers kidnapped in Arsal on Aug. 2 2014 were divided between Jabhat al-Nusra and "ISIL". However, the latter remained out of the negotiating process, mediated by Qatar.
Relatives of the abducted soldiers taken hostage by "ISIL" and the al-Nusra Front shortly blocked on Sunday the Banks street in Riyad al-Soleh square in Beirut, protesting the delay in efforts to release their sons.
"We have heard nothing about our loved ones since eight months ago. We have information that the crisis cell is deploying no efforts in this regards," they noted.
Source: al-Ahed news
