Following are summaries of some of the main stories in a selection of Lebanese newspapers Thursday. The Daily Star cannot vouch for the accuracy of these reports.
Al-Mustaqbal
Judicial discussions about measures against Shaaban
Union “snowball" v.s. government
Signs of escalation toward more demonstrations and sit-ins emerged Wednesday during the showdown between the Union
Coordination Committee [a coalition of private and public school teachers and public employees] and the government against the backdrop of the Cabinet’s in its dealing with all social issues as well as its delay in implementing pay raises.
Meanwhile, the Samaha-Mamlouk case remained in the spotlight.
Detainee [Michel] Samaha was once again interrogated, this time over voice recordings between him and Syrian President Bashar Assad’s adviser Bouthaina
Shaaban before, during and after the transfer of explosives [to
Lebanon from Syria] on Aug. 7.
Sources close to the probe said that in light of Samaha’s latest testimony, legal action could be taken against Shaaban, thus she will likely join fellow citizen Maj. Gen.
Ali Mamlouk and his assistant Col.
Adnan and Samaha in the [terror] case.
Ad-Diyar
Syrian students clash with fundamentalists, trouble at the Lebanese University
Disputes escalate at university and confrontation likely between [Assad] supporters and fundamentalists
It seems that the
Lebanese University will become a battleground between pro- and anti-Assad regime students and at the same time between student supporters of the Syrian regime and Muslim fundamentalists and Salafists.
Thousands of Lebanese students from various [political] parties, particularly
Amal and Hezbollah, attend the Lebanese University, in addition to a few thousand Syrian students who are split between supporters and opponents of the Syrian regime.
Information made available to
Ad-Diyar confirmed that several confrontations had taken place between “loyalist” Syrian students and Muslim fundamentalists, but that Amal and
Hezbollah did not take part in the disputes.
Al-Joumhouria
Siniora warns of Hezbollah involvement in Syria crisis
March 14 [asks]: where is he [Nasrallah] taking his sect and country?
Wednesday was chocked with social, political and security issues: the elections law, the Samaha case and the union strike which threatened to besiege the Grand Serail and paralyze the country.
In parallel, political circles will turn their eyes Thursday to an 8 p.m. interview with Hezbollah secretary general
Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah on Al-Manar television.
Nasrallah will talk about the latest developments and the issue of a reconnaissance jet which hovered over Gaza and which the Israeli army said it had shot down Saturday.
All eyes will also be turned to head of the Change and Reform Bloc MP Michel Aoun, who will appear on Marcel Ghanem’s LBCI’s talk show at 9:30 p.m. Thursday.
Meanwhile, former Prime Minister
Fouad Siniora underlined the “gravity of Hezbollah’s involvement in the ongoing military conflict in Syria and its support of one group against the other under the title ‘jihadist duty.’”
For its part, the March 14 coalition warned in a statement following its weekly meeting Wednesday of the “serious problem” now facing Lebanon after Hezbollah’s involvement in the Syria crisis.
A high-ranking March 14 official, in remarks to Al-Joumhouria, asked: "Where does Hezbollah want to take its sect and the entire country? Why is [Hezbollah] opening the door to expose its sect, the country and all the Lebanese?”
Al-Akhbar
Judicial appointments please Change and Reform [bloc], progress in [naming] members to oil authority
The Cabinet finally made new judicial appointments Wednesday to be followed by administrative appointments successively after reaching political consensus, most notably naming members to the body governing the oil and gas sector.
Regarding parliamentary elections, Prime Minister Najib Mikati joined others in supporting the so-called
Fouad Butros electoral law.
Following sharp disputes that distanced the components of the government for a long time, the Cabinet filled Wednesday vacancies for judicial offices that pleased [MP Michel Aoun’s] Change and Reform bloc.
Information made available to Al-Akhbar indicates headway has been made in the appointments of a president and members to the oil authority.