DAILY SCOPE: Geagea Nominates Aoun for Presidency, Mixes All Cards

Local Editor

NEWSPAPERS' HEADLINES:

AS-SAFIR:

Geagea Embraces Aoun: I am the Boss

"Israel": Hizbullah Main, Greatest Threat

AN-NAHAR:

Christian Coup d'état: Aoun Candidate of Geagea

AL-AKHBAR:

Geagea's Uprising against Hariri

Qualitative Ops behind the Borders, Advances in Maareb

AD-DIYAR:

Lebanese Forces Approve Aoun for Presidency in a Pivotal Step

Lebanese newspapers on Tuesday followed up closely on the latest developments after the sudden mix of cards in Lebanon, as head of the Lebanese Forces Samir Geagea declared his nomination of Head of the Change and Reform Bloc Michel Aoun as a candidate for presidency.

Political parties and officials made their stances public on the matter, while House Speaker Nabih Berri said he will declare his position after a careful study to Geagea's initiative. On the regional level, the dailies touched on the latest regional developments, particularly concerning Syria and Iran.

AL-AKHBAR-Saudi Arabia, Future Party Try Talking Geagea Out of Nominating Aoun

Sources told al-Akhbar newspaper that Saudi Arabia and the Future party tried to talk head of the Lebanese Forces Samir Geagea out of nominating head of the Free Patriotic Movement Michel Aoun for presidency. The sources said that Geagea received a call from a high-ranking Saudi figure as well, as a last attempt but Geagea insisted on his stance.

Also following up on the Presidential file, al-Akhbar reported that House Speaker Nabih Berri underscored that he backed the candidacy of Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman Franjieh despite the Lebanese Forces endorsement of Change and Reform bloc head Michel Aoun for the presidency.

Sources close to Berri told the newspaper that Berri will not announce his official stance before carefully studying the latest deal struck between LF chief Samir Geagea and Aoun.

AN-NAHAR-Hizbullah Will Declare its Position on the Geagea Nomination of Aoun Thursday

Hizbullah sources on Tuesday said that Samir Geagea's nomination of head of Change and Reform Bloc Michel Aoun has mixed the cards in Lebanon, and that the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc will declare its position on Geagea's endorsement most probably after its weekly session on Thursday, reported An-Nahar newspaper.

On a related note, Lebanese Forces and Free Patriotic Movement sources told An-Nahar newspaper that following the "declaration of intentions" that took place on April 2, 2015, a new phase started with major focus on the presidential elections.

According to the sources, meetings between the two sides were taking place almost on daily basis, to finally reach a solution on the impasse. The discussions majorly were taking place between the FPM's MP Ibrahim Kanaan and LF's media advisor Melhem al-Riyashi but away from the spotlight to ensure the success of the talks.

Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea announced on Monday his decision to nominate Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun for the presidential election that has been delayed for around 20 months due to the lack of the political consensus among the various factions.

In a joint press conference, Geagea said that after mulling the political complications which caused the presidential vacancy, the Lebanese Forces decided to support General Aoun's candidacy. Lebanon has been without a president since the term of Michel Suleiman ended in May 2014.

AL-AKHBAR-Syrian Army Thwarts Major Attack in Turkmen Mountain

The Syrian army foiled one of the most intense and violent attacks launched against its military points in the Turkmen Mountain [Jabal al-Turkmen] in Latakia, reported al-Akhbar newspaper.

A field source told the newspaper that there was a terrorist offensive in northern Latakia on the village of al-Sukkariyah and the contested town of ‘Ateiri near the Turkish border on Monday afternoon. The Syrian army and their allies thwarted the attacks. The village of al-Sukkariyah is situated to the south of the militant stronghold of al-Rabi'yah in the Turkmen Mountains [Jabal al-Turkmen] of northern Latakia.

According to the source, the Syrian army targeted the terrorist groups as they were trying to infiltrate through the Turkish borders, causing numerous casualties among them.

Other operations were taking place as well, most important of which was in Aleppo. The Syrian state-run news agency had quoted military sources on Monday that the Syrian army and its allies carried out a special operation which resulted in destroying a tunnel which was used by terrorists for infiltration and transporting munitions along with all the terrorists and munitions inside it in Salah-Eddin neighborhood in Aleppo city.

Source: al-Ahed News