DAILY SCOPE: Waste Scandal Brings File Back to Square One, ’Israel’ Fears Sayyed Nasrallah’s Honesty

Local Editor

NEWSPAPERS' HEADLINES:

AS-SAFIR:

Waste Exportation Exposes "Lebanese Corruption"

AN-NAHAR:

Berri: No Allies in Presidential Election
Government Returns to Landfills

AL-AKHBAR:

Qahwaji to al-Akhbar: "Super Tocano" Planes En Route

AL-BINAA:

Azaz and Idlib Battles: Transporting Armed Groups...The Latest of Erdogan's Wars

Lebanese newspapers on Friday sounded concerns over the waste management file after the scandal of forged papers was exposed by the Russian Environment Ministry. Some papers saw that the scandal will ultimately lead to the cancellation of the deal, thus bringing back the file to the parliamentary council for discussion, while other papers shed light on the domestic landfills that can be a new source of trouble for the country.

AL-JOMHOURIA: Country Sinking in Garbage, Conspiracy on Oil Riches Ongoing

Al-Jomhouria newspaper on Friday said that the session the cabinet held on Thursday did not bring about any new result, adding that "there are no positive signs to the productivity of the session to be held on the second of March that is designated to elect a president."

"Meanwhile, the country sinks more into the garbage crisis, at the time a conspiracy is taking place in the country, as some sides try to distract the people and the political factions with the "mazes" of the presidency and the waste crisis...by that distracting their attention from the natural riches and resources lying in Lebanon's regional waters."

On this note, the newspaper said that the latest piece of information says that "Israel" has sealed a deal with Cyprus and Greece on setting up pipelines from the occupied Palestinian territories to Europe, with worries the pipeline would pass through the 871 miles disputed with "Israel".

Last month, the leaders of Cyprus, "Israel" and Greece agreed to establish an underwater gas pipeline from the eastern Mediterranean to Europe.

On a related note, House speaker Nabih Berri said that he would prioritize the exploration of gas and oil after Lebanon resolves its waste management crisis. Al-Jomhouria quoted Berri as telling his visitors that he will "focus on resolving the oil exploration file after the garbage crisis [which started in July 2015] is over."

In 2013, the parliament passed a law setting Lebanon's maritime boundary and Exclusive Economic Zone.

AS-SAFIR: Shehayeb Pulls Out, Waste File Returns to Square One

The chaos that erupted around the plan to export the garbage stacked across Lebanon brought the issue back to square one, and discussions on ways and means to resolve the crisis gain momentum this week.

According to As-Safir newspaper, the return to square one should not be a surprise after the many mysteries and scandals started to uncover on the matter.

A ministerial committee headed by Prime Minister Tammam Salam was revived and will meet on Saturday to discuss the areas where landfills would be established to receive the trash of Beirut and Mount Lebanon, sources said.

The latest scandal on the matter took place when it was exposed that the company Chinook tasked to export the wastes did not obtain the official approval from Russia [the importing country] to finalize the contract with Lebanon.

According to the paper, the Agriculture Minister Akram Shehayeb said he has informed the cabinet that he would no longer be in charge of the file, adding that he has carried out his duties. He also assured that his conscience is clear on this matter.

The waste crisis had erupted in July when Lebanon's largest landfill in Naameh was closed. Trash began piling up on the streets of Beirut and Mount Lebanon, forcing the dumping of wastes in makeshift sites and along riverbanks. Heavy rain last week brought with it flooded streets coupled with waste, as experts warned of the health and environmental impact of the crisis.

AL-AKHBAR: "Israelis" Fear Sayyed Nasrallah's Honesty

"Israel" seems to be living an ongoing nightmare, as it could not ignore the stances made by Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah who gave his latest speech on Tuesday.

According to author Yehya Dbouk, "the nuclear bomb that fell on the heads of the "Israeli" leaders and audience demonstrated in the threat to target Ammonia containers in Haifa was bigger than Tel Aviv's propaganda policy in dealing with the resistance stances and positions since the 2006 July war."

"Israel", according to the writer, is incapable of confronting the stances and threats made by Sayyed Nasrallah.

"Israeli" Channel 2's Oded bin Ami, according to the article, assured that "Israel's" major problem is that Sayyed Nasrallah has proved over time that he is honest and does not lie, and he always discusses issues that are based on reality and facts."

During his speech on Tuesday, Sayyed Nasrallah underlined that when the people defend and support the resistance, they are preventing war on Lebanon, noting that Lebanon possesses a nuclear bomb when the people of Haifa city in Occupied Palestine express fears of a dreadful attack by Hizbullah against the Ammonia containers, which contain more than 15 thousand tons of gas.

"An Israeli expert has said that Haifa's residents fear a deadly attack on the ammonia storage tanks, which contain more than 15,000 tons of this gas," this, according to the "Israeli" expert, would lead to the death of tens of thousands of residents and 800,000 "Israelis" would be affected, he stated.

Source: al-ahed News