DAILY SCOPE: Gen. Suleimani in Tekrit to Supervise Ops, Lebanon Dialogue Ongoing

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AN-NAHAR

"Ambiguity Race" on all Tracks!
March 14 Decides to Launch "National Council" 

ASSAFIR

"Israel" Exerts Pressure, Saudi Arabia Afraid and Egypt does not Bargain...
"Nuclear Opportunity" between USA and Iran ... And "Federal Recipe" for Lebanon! 

THE DAILYSTAR

Hizbullah, Future Talks See 'Serious Progress' 

On the domestic level, as-Safir newspaper wrote that the seventh round of dialogue between Hizbullah and the Future party under the patronage of Speaker Nabih Berri signals progress in the talks and demonstrates the desire of both sides to further progress in dialogue. The paper highlighted that the quick developments in the region play a key role in the speeding of the process, and urges both sides to make concessions and compromises yet without breaking the rules of ‘major players' in the region.

According to the Daily Star, the Future Movement and Hizbullah made "serious progress" in their latest round of talks on key political and security issues as the two sides discussed the 9-month-old presidential election deadlock and ways of confronting terrorism threatening the country. "Discussions continued and serious progress was made in security and political issues," said a terse statement issued after a nearly four-hour meeting held at Speaker Nabih Berri's residence in Ain al-Tineh. It did not elaborate. Officials from the two sides were not available to comment on the results of the talks.

As-Safir, on the role of Hizbullah and Iran in the battle against Daesh and terrorism, revealed a surprise on the Saudi and Emirati stances, where an Emirati official told an Arab official who was in a visit to Abu Dhabi, that he is in direct contact with the Syrian leadership almost on daily basis. He even said "we understand the reality of the Iranian and Hizbullah engagement in the battle against Daesh and terrorism."
The paper added, that for the first time some European capitals have said in an unprecedented stance what Italy had said, that "Hizbullah, Iran and the Syrian leadership are our objective partners in the war against terrorism."

The paper also touched on the stance of a March 14 official, where the paper had asked him that if Hizbullah retreats from Syria and leaves all the borders to the Lebanese army, would that be enough to release the political tension and preserve Lebanon's stability? Shockingly, the paper said that the official answered "Who said we agree that Hizbullah retreat and leave the Lebanese army alone at the borders?!"
Both sides of the dialogue, according to the paper, realize that the presidential impasse still needs time to ripen and by that reach a solution, but both sides are working hard on the security file as well as the presidential elections file.

On the security level, sources told al-Joumhouria newspaper on Tuesday that the negotiations in the case of Arsal abducted soldiers made a progress, adding that a positive breakthrough may be done in the next few hours.

The same sources noted that Lebanese General Security chief Major General Abbas Ibrahim and the Qatari intelligence chief Ghanem al-Qubaisi put during their last meeting a roadmap to implement the much awaited swap deal.
According to the daily, the sources concluded by saying that the efforts deployed to release the captives are done in total secrecy.

Meanwhile, visitors of Speaker Nabih Berri quoted him as saying that he hailed the latest Lebanese army's operation against the armed men in Ras Baalbek.
The sources told al-Joumhouria newspaper that Berri said the operation created an equation that gave it the odds in confronting terrorism."

According to the sources, Berri noted that the operation made achievements despite that the army lacks numbers, equipment and "sometimes" political decision, warning that many dangers are looming on the horizon, which require "the best political and security deployment to confront them."

On the governmental level, Minister of Environment Mohammad Machnouq told An-Nahar newspaper on Tuesday that Prime Minister Tammam Salam will hold a cabinet session next Thursday. Machnouq stressed the importance of preserving harmony inside the cabinet amid the presidential vacuum.
"The cabinet must remain its harmony, whoever wants to speed up the election of a new president must work in this regard," he added.

On the regional level, Iraqi troops backed by popular forces continue marching in Salahuddin province on Monday and opened their path to the strategic city of Qaddesiya after breaking ISIL's fortified defensive positions.
The Iraqi army entered the Qaddesiya city in the Northern parts of Tikrit to tighten the siege of the ISIL forces in Salahuddin province.

Reports coming out of Tikrit city on Monday indicated that the Iraqi troops had driven out ISIL terrorists from Tikrit.

They used heavy artillery, mortars, tanks and short-range missiles during intensified clashes over the town of Dour which is still under the control of the ISIL terrorists.
An-Nahar newspaper quoted semi-official Iranian news agency as saying that Iranian news agencies reported on Monday that Qassem Suleimani, the commander of Iran's Quds force - the external arm of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards - has arrived in Tikrit in order to "supervise and advise" local Iraqi forces.

The agency, which is affiliated to the Guards, quoted unnamed sources as saying that Suleimani was in the Iraqi city helping the Iraqi forces in their fight against so-called "ISIL".

Source: al-Ahed news