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Lebanon's Arabic press digest - Feb. 8, 2012

Following are summaries of some of the main stories in a selection of Lebanese newspapers Wednesday. The Daily Star cannot vouch for the accuracy of these reports.

Al-Mustaqbal

Aoun accuses Sleiman of crippling Cabinet ... Jumblatt attacks Iranian ambassador

My government shall stay, is Nasrallah’s ‘order of the day’

In less than a minute, and in what looked like the "order of the day," Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah made up his mind that his government will stay in office and informed Cabinet members that toppling the government was a red line that cannot be crossed “because now is not the time to overthrow governments.”

It seems obvious that there is a political decision to keep the government situation deadlocked until further notice or until a means of communication is provided to address the crisis.

Meanwhile, MP Michel Aoun stepped up his campaign against President Michel Suleiman, whom he now sees as “part of the one-third obstructionist minority.”

Sleiman is “playing a role in obstructing” the political process, Aoun said.

He accused Sleiman, together with Prime Minister Najib Mikati, of “attacking us.”

There were significant remarks Tuesday by head of the National Struggle Front MP Walid Jumblatt, who attacked Iran for its stance on the Syrian revolution, saying the revolutions sweeping the Arab world, at the top of which stands that of Syria, “do not need lessons from anyone.”

He also called on Iran’s Ambassador to Lebanon Ghazanfar Roknabadi to “cease making comments on the Syria crisis.”

Al-Joumhouria

This is what Feltman told his March 14 friends in the "Last Supper"

Al-Joumhouria has learned that U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman met about eight of his friends in the March 14 coalition over dinner Monday evening at the U.S. Embassy in Awkar, in the absence of Phalange Party and Lebanese Forces representation.

Despite the keenness of all sides to keep this "Last Supper" hush-hush in an effort not to give Feltman's visit an official dimension, and keep it instead in the context of offering condolences over the death of former MP Nassib Lahoud in Baabda, Al-Joumhouria has learned that Feltman informed his friends that there is no need at present to launch a campaign against Prime Minister Najib Mikati personally, because Lebanon has transcended the battle for sovereignty and independence.

Feltman stressed that the current phase should focus on the need for security and stability in Lebanon while the picture in Syria crystallizes.

Feltman expressed confidence in the course of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon in light of the guarantees given by Mikati to the U.S. administration on this issue.

As-Safir

Future bloc attacks Lebanese Army ... Berri denounces ... Aoun sticks to ‘prerogatives’

Nasrallah: Government will stay ... What is needed in Syria is resistance leader

The Cabinet crisis remained deadlocked, but the impression by members of the government is that the crisis is “under control” and that there will be no dramatic political developments, though Cabinet likely will not meet before the return of Prime Minister Najib Mikati from an upcoming visit to France.

While Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah provided reassurances that the government will stay in office and that it is not time to topple governments, Gen. Michel Aoun launched a withering attack on both President Michel Sleiman and Prime Minister Najib Mikati.

Significantly, the Future parliamentary bloc attacked the Lebanese Army in a statement released following its weekly meeting under former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.

The bloc pointed to the “movements of some Lebanese Army units in villages on the northern and eastern border with sister Syria which appear to target these villages rather than provide them with peace of mind."

For his part, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri denounced the campaigns against the Lebanese Army, telling As-Safir that the military “under Gen. Jean Kahwaji performs its duties to the fullest potential.”

He said Lebanese Army movements in certain areas along the border with Syria come within the framework of the government’s policy to disassociate Lebanon from the unrest in Syria.

Al-Akhbar

Nasrallah confirms government will stay: If not for Iran we wouldn’t have achieved victories

Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah said in a speech on the anniversary of the Prophet's birthday Tuesday that Iran has supported the resistance since 1982 without dictating to it, stressing that the current government will remain in office and that the crisis will be resolved.

He said Hezbollah's manifesto has been “clear for over 20 years, and this is our conviction, which we see is in the best interest of our people in Lebanon from all sects,” Nasrallah said.

Nasrallah pointed to “some people” who continue to attack Hezbollah based on its positions in 1982-83 in order to “incite [hatred against Hezbollah] by saying that we want to establish an Islamic republic, which is true. We repeatedly said so during the 80s.”

“But following a policy review, we issued several new manifestos,” he said, while reminding Christian leaders of the days when they would “talk about a Christian nation, partition and federalism.”

Nasrallah confirmed that Hezbollah receives financial support from Iran.

“Yes, we in Hezbollah have been receiving moral, political and financial support from the Islamic Republic in Iran since 1982.”

He said Iran takes pride in this “because the resistance in Lebanon is the one that achieved the biggest and most important Arab victory over Israel on May 25, 2000.”

“Had it not been for Iran’s moral and financial support, victory would not have been achieved,” Nasrallah stressed.

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Arabic Press Digest / Lebanon
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