Media Scope: Two Terrorist Leaders in Grip of LA
Local Editor
As the Iranian ‘unconditioned' offer to equip the Lebanese army remains on the table, the 3 billion US-dollars arms deal by Saudi Arabia and France has special whereabouts, where France asks for ‘tips'.
Meanwhile, Lebanese officials assure that the war on terror has become easier, while al-Assad recounted the Syrian accomplishments in its ongoing battle. As for Aoun, he stressed that relations with Hizbullah remain tight, and that the parliament mandate extension was to prevent change in the governmental equation.
Major details about the Saudi-French arms offer to the Lebanese army, comprising of arms and equipment worth 3 billion US dollar:
Al-Akhbar newspaper came to know that the French have imposed their conditions concerning its ‘commission' on the deal.
Following the Saudi attempt to let go the bad reputation they carry on arms deal, and assuring that no brokerage should be paid for any deal between two countries, the French insisted on a commission of 5 percent of the whole sum, which is equivalent to 150 million US dollars.
The brokerage, according to al-Akhbar, will go to the French public company ‘Audace', which is a ‘governmental' company invented by Franc to make sure they keep commission in their ‘pockets'.
Al-Akhbar noted that 150 million dollars is enough to equip the Lebanese army with arms required to combat terrorists.
On another note, Lebanese Foreign Minister Gibran Bassil, during a tour on the Western Bekaa region, assured the Resistance does not take permission from anyone to do its job, ‘the people who do not resist are defeatists. Resistance does not need to take permission from international assemblies. We should all be concerned about resistance; particularly resisting "Israel" to build a state in Lebanon that can survive."
As-Safir Lebanese daily for its part quoted Lebanese Prime Minister Tamam Salam as saying that "serious measures have been taken by the army on the Southern-Eastern borders with Jabal al-Sheikh, to prevent military tension from reaching Lebanon.
Salam told As-Safir: "In light of the uncomfortable situation in Syria and at the borders, we are concerned about maintaining security and stability in Lebanon, as well as preventing the tension from reaching the Lebanese arena. The Lebanese army is at utmost readiness at the borders to prevent such and protect the nationals."
Concerning the negotiations on the abducted army soldiers, Salam told As-Safir that the issue is ‘difficult, complicated, sensitive and critical'.
On a related note, General Jamil as-Sayed quoted Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad saying that the current circumstances are much more appropriate to confront terrorism, adding that the mutual cooperation between the Lebanese and the Syrian armies will reap fruits and decrease security burdens for both countries.
According to a statement issued by as-Sayyed's bureau, al-Assad discussed with as-Sayyed the accomplishments achieved by the Arab Syrian Army in confronting terrorism, which in its turn would lead to appropriate environment and circumstances to finding a political solution to the crisis.
For his part, General Michel Aoun told as-Safir newspaper that the real aim behind the extension of government mandate is to prevent any change in the equation, highlighting that statistics demonstrate that elections would result in a sharp decline in the popular representation of one of the major Sunni political parties.
Concerning relations with Hizbullah, Aoun told As-Safir "What brings us together with Hizbullah is stronger than to be abolished by the matter of government extension. Those who imagine I might turn against the Resistance because they voted for the extension do not know me well. The resistance to me is a strategic choice that is not affected by political files. I even tell you, if the memo of understanding has been joining us with Hizbullah since 2006, then today we have reached a stage of where we complete each other, as we confront the takfiri and "Israeli" threats alike."
He finally noted that "dialogue with Saad Hariri on the presidency has stopped, because my name was vetoed by the Saudi prince Saud al-Faisal."
Source: Lebanese dailies, Translated and Edited by website team
