March 4, 2008

Lebanonwire

Lebanon Press Highlights

Attempts to float the Lebanese presidential file prior to the Arab summit

Majority and opposition delegations in Cairo

Talk about 'new idea' between Moussa, Berri, Hariri and Siniora

Arab Gulf countries link their attendance of Arab summit to inviting Lebanon

Solana in Beirut today, to meet Berri and Siniora

Mitri to represent Lebanon in Cairo meet amid pressures on Syria to facilitate electing president

March 14 memo: Undermining solution is a continuos drive by opposition

Prelude to solution is to revive the political dimension of the crisis

Jumblat: Did Nijad coordinate with Nasrallah before visiting Iraq under American protection

Aoun: No indicators for an upcoming war

Lebanon's absence from summit is better than it being attended by this government

Hezbollah: Presence of fleets makes no difference for opposition

Bahia Hariri: 'Cole' complicates matters further

Suleiman holds meeting with army staff, says army is ready to face all possibilities

Geagea calls on Arabs to boycott Damascus summit

Raad: People in Lebanon and Palestine are committed to resistance, reject compromise

Mufti Ali Al Amine: Would Hezbollah retain the support it enjoys had other Shiites got similar means?

Ibrahim Shamsedine: Time for Berri to hand over the trust, and time for Hezbollah to use some advise

Fadlallah: Gaza massacres did not move the world or its international organizations

Amal: Solution does not come on board of warships

Wahhab: Syria won't abandon its allies; summit will come out with nothing

As-Safir

New ideas to enrich Arab initiative...and a suggestion to have Aoun and Hariri head to Cairo

Berri ponders over Arabs, Jumblat not ashamed with 'Cole' and Suleiman for giving priority to confronting any Israeli aggression

Riyadh to participate in principle in the summit..and Damascus views it as Palestinian summit by excellence

Expecting the new commissioner of Lebanon Hariri probe Daniel Bellemare to abstain form publishing results in his general reports, and delaying that until the final indictment is made, Legal Adviser to the UN Secretary General Nicola Michel says:

Probe must take its time and we do not know when it would be over

The tribunal will be ready shortly, but when it will start is dependent on factors that are not under our control

Aoun: American destroyers' politics do no build stability in the region

Saudi Arabia will attend summit if Lebanon is invited

Sfeir denounces Gaza massacres, asks: had 'Cole' entered Lebanon's territorial waters?

Geagea criticizes those objecting to Cole's presence, calls for thanking Washington

Jumblat calls on allies not to be ashamed of Cole's coming

Asks: Had Nijad coordinated with his ally Nasrallah his visit to Iraq under US protection

Pharoan: Regional situation won't lead to electing president

Berri calls for not transforming political conflict into an armed one

Al-Mustaqbal

March 14 to Arab ministers: Syrian regime is the cause of the problem

Saudi Arabia to decide on attending summit in light of Arab ministers meet

Gulf sources say Assad wants to negotiate over the tribunal and his role

Jumblat assets there is no shame in getting support from the international community

Geagea calls for boycotting Arab summit if a president is not elected

Shiites: The frightened, threatened and besieged sect - Nassir Al Asaad

Al-Balad

Damascus summit: Inviting Lebanon is the weighing factor

Suleiman says army is ready to confront any Israeli attack

Soldiers detained in Mar Mikhael events

Berrri optimistic a president will elected on March 11

Aoun says war in Lebanon is unlikely

Geagea: Downtown sit-in harming sovereignty more than 'Cole' and those who came with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard will leave with them

Raad: Electing president with 'half+1' will be confronted with the most malevolent reaction

Al-Akhbar

Gulf fears 'coup' in Lebanon

Riyadh links its participation in summit to inviting Siniora's government, and Damascus expects pressures to increase

Damascus summit:: Lebanon or the Saudi-Syrian laundry? - Nicholas Nassif

Lebanon staying in pace till a 'mature regional settlement' - Nihmat Badreddine

Meeting in Cairo shortly between majority and opposition in Cairo with Moussa's sponsorship

Lebanese at the whim of Syrian-Saudi tension - Ghassan Saoud

Marada establishes office in Metrn, 'to spread in Lebanon'