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DAILY SCOPE: Rifi Follows Daher Footsteps, March 14 Alliance Falling Apart?

DAILY SCOPE: Rifi Follows Daher Footsteps, March 14 Alliance Falling Apart?
folder_openMiddle East... access_time8 years ago
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Local Editor

NEWSPAPERS' HEADLINES:

AL-AKHBAR:

Authority Submits: No Increase on Benzene Prices

Turkish Assurance of Meeting with "Israeli" Government in Geneva

AS-SAFIR:

Who Did Obama's Delegate Meet in Beirut...and What is The Pentagon's Message?

AN-NAHAR:

What Comes after March 14?

AL-LIWAA:

Russia Suggests Ceasefire, Medvedev Warns from a "Word War III" in Case of Foreign Ground Invasion

The different pending files in Lebanon, including the presidential impasse, did not prevent Lebanon from setting an eye on the events taking place outside the country, which might have a direct or indirect impact on it. Lebanese politicians have been following up on the Geneva tough talks following the Russian suggestion to start a cease-fire, at the time the Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev warned that any foreign ground attack or intervention in Syria would cause a "Third World War".

DAILY SCOPE: Rifi Follows Daher Footsteps, March 14 Alliance Falling Apart?

Meanwhile, and amid all the domestic and regional complications, a "heavy weight" war of words was unleashed among the allegedly untied March 14 alliance, clearly reflected by the stances of head of the Future Party Saad Hariri and Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi on the eve of the alliance's annual ceremony held to commemorate the assassination of former PM Rafiq Hariri.

AL-JOMHOURIA-Rifi, Hariri in Row Over Cabinet

Once again, the March 14 alliance demonstrates a rift among its members who never seem to unite in their stances on the different matters in the country.

Well-informed sources told al-Jomhouria newspaper that Rifi, who associates with Hariri's Future Movement bloc, along with two Kataeb ministers left the cabinet session on Thursday when it became obvious that the government is not willing to discuss his proposal to refer former minister Michel Samaha's case to the Judicial Council.

Minutes after Rifi's decision to leave the session, Hariri tweeted "the minister's stance doesn't represent me," underlining "No one is entitled to wager on us concerning the assassination of Wissam al- Hassan, and Samaha's trial. Every person who commits a crime shall be punished."

Samaha has been under arrest since August 2012 over allegations that he transported explosives and planned attacks and assassinations of political and religious figures in Lebanon. He was released from detention for 150 million Lebanese pounds, and was prohibited from traveling and making statements through various media. Since then, the March 14 alliance has been slamming his release.

According to the sources, it was designated that the March 14 camp members unite their stances and reactions on the matter; a decision that was made during a meeting between the Future party figures and the Hariri minsters in Riyadh. Yet, the officials have been failing to do so and have been proving discord and division among themselves on the different matters.

Another stance reflecting disharmony among the March 14 alliance members was that of Interior minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq, who not only suggested that he and Rifi should leave the session, but also that the dialogue with Hizbullah should be halted.

On another note, al-Jomhouria newspaper said that while two days remain until the commemoration of the PM Rafiq Hariri's assassination, sources within the March 14 camp reported that the declaration of Hariri to endorse head of the Marada party Suleiman Franjieh for presidency and his determination on this stance will only increase tensions with the March 14 forces who object the endorsement, especially the Lebanese Forces.

AL-AKHBAR-Huge Gap Between March 14 Members, Rifi Crossing Red Lines

Head of the Future Party Saad Hariri seems to stand handcuffed before the ongoing inclinations of the March 14 camp members; for instance, he was not able to put limits for the MP Khaled al-Daher, prompting him to alienate al-Daher from the "Future Party flock".

Al-Akhbar newspaper on Friday reported that "from the heart of Hariri's coalition, the Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi's stance reflected the huge gap between the head of the March 14 coalition [Saad Hariri] and the politicians who object his stances."

The newspaper said that this time, minister Rifi crossed all "red lines" when he decided to walk away and leave the session because his suggestion to discuss Samaha's case did not top the list on the cabinet's agenda.

"This time, Hariri did not summon him [Rifi] to Riyadh, he rather decided to publically punish him, accusing him of wagering on concerns," the article said.

Furthermore, al-Akhbar said the rift among the lines of the March 14 camp was clearly reflected as well when Rifi decided to declare his objection on the suggestion of former PM Fouad Seniora on increasing benzene prices, without taking into consideration that the "godfather" of the idea was Seniora himself.

AS-SAFIR-Saudi Propaganda to Impose Quick Ceasefire, Prevent Syrian Army Advances

A Lebanese well-informed source told As-Safir newspaper that the Saudi "propaganda" on its intention to put boots on the ground in Syria comes "as an attempt to impose an immediate ceasefire so that the Syrian army, backed by the Russians and Iranians, would stop its advances towards Aleppo and the Turkish borders."

The source assured that the Saudis "will not dare" to send one solder to Syria unless with an American approval, adding that "everyone knows the Americans are not willing to provoke the Russians especially in the meantime."

Saudi Arabia declared it has plans [along with its allies] to potentially deploy ground troops in Syria.
On another note, the source said that the Americans lately sent positive signs to the Syrian government through more than one channel on the Lebanese presidency file.

Source: al-Ahed News

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