DAILY SCOPE: Lebanese Officials Agree to Importance of Comprehensive Political Settlement
Local Editor
NEWSPAPER HEADLINES:
AS-SAFIR:
Seniora: Nasrallah's Speech Good, Jumblatt Wants Comprehensive Settlement
AN-NAHAR:
Terrorist Network in Hands of Security Forces
AL-AKHBAR:
Ten Arrested Including ‘Naim Abbas 2': Confessions of the ‘Security Mind' of ISIL
AL-JOMHOURIA:
Priority to Fighting Terrorism; Ibrahim to al-Jomhouria: We Expect Similar Attacks
AL-BINAA:
Paris Massacre Imposes on Vienna, Summit of 20 to Overcome Disparities, Reach Agreements
AL-LIWAA:
Hariri, Nasrallah at Crossroads towards Reaching Political Settlement
Lebanese newspaper on Monday focused on the developments taking place in Lebanon on the backdrop of the twin suicide attacks that took place on Thursday, and the revelations made by the security forces only 48 hours after the attacks took place. The dailies shed light on the stances of different Lebanese officials who stressed the importance of reaching a comprehensive political settlement as suggested by Sayed Hassan Nasrallah, Hizbullah Secretary General.
AS-SAFIR: Lebanese Officials Agree to Importance of Comprehensive Political Settlement
Lebanese officials in statements to As-Safir newspaper assured the importance of the role Lebanon is playing in face of the terrorist groups, stressing on the necessity for national unity and effort to confront the phenomena.
Interior Minister Nuhad al-Mashnouq told As-Safir on Monday "there is a real open war of terror going on in Lebanon, and it requires the Lebanese to be on utmost levels of responsibility and readiness."
Earlier in a press conference on Sudnay, Mashnouq said that ISF Intelligence shall exert further anti-terrorist efforts undaunted by escalating threats, adding that political stability in the country however remains to be the sole path for ensuring security.
Meanwhile, Future Party Head Fouad Seniora told the paper that "What Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said about a comprehensive settlement basket is good." He added that "this is a step in the correct path, and reflects the desire to find a real settlement but of course this needs further discussion to reach a clear formula, and this is what we hope will happen during the ongoing talks between Hizbullah and the Future party."
As for the head of the Progressive Socialist Party MP Walid Jumblatt, he told As-Safir he hopes that a political settlement would take place as soon as possible, noting that he does not mind a comprehensive settlement basket as suggested by Sayyed Nasrallah.
In a televised speech condemning the ISIL attacks in Lebanon and France on Saturday, Sayyed Nasrallah said that the positivity in Lebanon represented in solidarity and togetherness must be preserved and benefited from, reiterating his call to complete a comprehensive political settlement at various levels within the existing frameworks in order to bring Lebanon out of paralysis, disruption and disability.
AL-JOMHOURIA: Lebanon in Open War with Terrorism, Security Forces Make Preemptive Measure
Head of the General Security Forces Maj. General Abbas Ibrahim told al-Jomhouria newspaper that "Lebanon has entered an open war with terrorism."
The paper quoted Ibrahim as saying that "the terrorist organizations already have a decision to target the Lebanese arena and that probability is always possible."
He also noted that the terrorist groups will carry out attacks at any time and place they find a chance to do so, because this is an open war, a war of hit and run between Lebanon and these terrorist groups.
Two suicide blasts rocked on Thursday the area of Burj al-Barajneh in Beirut's Southern Suburb (Dahiyeh), leaving over 43 martyrs and 211 injured.
Moreover, a security source told the Lebanese daily that "new terrorist operations are possible at any time," adding that "according to preliminary investigations, other terrorist groups are still free and the security forces are tracking these groups down and trying to find their hubs."
Yet, the source noted that there is nothing to worry about, but rather the security apparatuses should remain on alert, and the procedures employed by these bodies are more than enough to expose any operation and the network behind it as soon as it takes place. The source noted that this preemptive security activity is important but not always possible, pointing out that there is daily cooperation taking place between the Lebanese security forces and international intelligence and security bodies.
Earlier on Sunday, Ibrahim stressed the need for shared intelligence gathering between international security organizations, the security official predicated any successful anti-terror outcome on preemptive security action, something the Lebanese have proved very much apt at.
Ibrahim listed "Israel", ISIL, and al-Nusra Front as the main threats against security saying terrorists tend to exploit Syrian and Palestinian refugees to attain their dirty ends.
AN-NAHAR: Foreign Sources Contact Lebanon, Seek Information on Terrorist Networks
An-Nahar newspaper revealed that "different foreign sources are trying to contact Lebanon to see what sort of information related to the terrorist networks it has obtained, requesting urgent meetings with security officials."
This, according to the paper, comes as the Lebanese security forces arrested the terrorist network that carried out the Burj al-Barajneh attacks only 48 hours after the crime.
On a related note, the paper added that "the fear of terrorism has certainly eased political tension in the country, and prevented the collapse of the country into the ‘pit'", as described by Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who called for "making use of the current atmosphere and come together under national solidarity to reach a comprehensive national settlement."
On Thursday, at least 37 people were martyred and dozens others wounded after two large explosions rocked a crowded street in the Burj al-Barajaneh area in Dahyieh; the southern suburb of Beirut.
Sources cited that the explosions were carried out by two bombers near the General Security Post in Hussaineya Street in the area.
Lebanese Interior Minister Nuhad al-Mashnouq announced on Sunday that the suicide blasts that rocked Burj al-Barajneh in Beirut's Southern Suburb, were at first planned to target Al-Rasoul Al-Aazam hospital [near the attack scene] by five suicide bombers and that the security measures that surround it drove the plotters to change their scheme.
In a press conference, al-Mashnouq said that the security forces managed within 48 hours to arrest all the members of the terrorist network responsible for the suicide blasts.
He said that "seven Syrians and two Lebanese, including the suicide bombers' smuggler, were arrested."
Source: al-Ahed news
