DAILY SCOPE: Saudi Future in Question, ’Israel’ Still on Alert

Local Editor

NEWSPAPERS HEADLINES:

ASSAFIR:
Sayyed Nasrallah Announces "Right Stance" Next Week

"Israel" on Alert as if War to be Waged Today

AL-AKHBAR:
Calm Discussion of Qunaitra Aggression in Cabinet
Casino and Hotels Targets for Suicide Bombers

AN-NAHAR:
Arsal Outskirts Front on Qunaitra's Rhythm?

THE DAILYSTAR:
King Abdullah Passes Away, New Ruler is Salman

Lebanese newspapers headlines on Friday morning put the death of Saudi King Abdullah Bin Abdel Aziz in the lime light, as all papers focused on the decease of the Saudi king who was admitted to the hospital on the New Year's Eve for treatment from pneumonia.
Papers also tackled several files, where the Lebanese dailies are still concerned with the Qunaitra "Israeli" aggression and its repercussions, awaiting the speech to be delivered by Hizbullah Secretary General His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, in addition to the security file of Ain al-Helweh Palestinian camp which has turned into safe haven for terrorists in Lebanon.

As-Safir newspaper started its editorial by writing "The Saudi king Abdullah Bin Abdel Aziz departs life in a very sensitive timing on both levels, the regional and international, leaving behind questions on the fate and future of the Saudi Kingdom and that of the Arab world which is confronted with harsh political turmoil, with its repercussions spreading worldwide."
Saudi Arabia's elderly King Abdullah died on Friday and was replaced by his half-brother Salman as the absolute ruler of the world's top oil exporter and the spiritual home of Islam.

The royal court said in a statement that Abdullah, believed to be around 90, died at 1:00 am local time.

Under Abdullah, who took the throne in 2005, Saudi Arabia has been a key ally of Washington in the Arab world, with its support to the armed groups in Syria and its relations with Egypt's Muslim brotherhood topping the list of mutual cooperation.

US President Barack Obama was quick to pay tribute to Abdullah as a ‘valued ally'.
"As our countries worked together to confront many challenges, I always valued King Abdullah's perspective and appreciated our genuine and warm friendship," Obama said in a written statement shortly after the monarch's death.
According to As-Safir daily, despite the expected soon death of Saudi king due to his illness, yet his decease still raises questions concerning the future of Saudi Arabia, and how his predecessor will deal with the domestic as well as foreign matters of the country.

On the security level, as-Safir pointed out that a few security matters are being solved in total secrecy and silence, with the aim of resolving these issues and finding practical solutions through coordination on all levels.

Sources told the paper that the Ain el-Helweh camp, which has turned into safe haven to the terrorists groups will be cleansed in the same manner through which the Roumieh prison was cleansed; amid Lebanese and Palestinian consensus to the importance of putting an end to the loose security situation in the Palestinian camps.

On the repercussions of the Qunaitra aggression, through which "Israel" assassinated 6 officials from the resistance axis, the newspaper highlighted the state of fear prevailing among the "Israelis". The paper shed light on the state of fear and anxiety reflected by the Zionist papers for the third day in a row, with the papers quoting "Israeli" soldiers and officials saying they hope the ‘crisis would pass without further escalation', quoting some of them as saying ‘all we want is to go back to our homes, if not this Saturday the next one'. The Zionist entity had put its army on utmost levels of alert, fearing a soon retaliation by Hizbullah to the raid it had conducted earlier this week.

For its part, al-Akhbar newspaper said that the ‘discussion on the "Israeli" aggression that took place in the Golan's Qunaitra region in the session of the cabinet was peaceful, with all sides condemning the aggression.
The daily said that right before Lebanese Prime Minister opened the session to discuss the weekly agenda of the cabinet, Telecoms Minister Botros Harb interrupted him and demanded that the aggression on Hizbullah be discussed first, after he offered his condolences to the families of the martyrs.

For his part, Hizbullah Minister Mohamamd Fneish assured that the resistance is sage and is wise on how to respond to the aggression. On another note, al-Akhbar pointed out that preparations for talks between the Free Patriotic Movement and the Lebanese Forces is on the way.

On the security level, an-Nahar newspaper said that a vehicle rigged with explosives was discovered at the entrance of the northeastern border town of Arsal, while a gunmen infiltration attempt was foiled announced by the army on Thursday.

Moreover, it noted that the army is reportedly searching for seven booby-trapped vehicles after recently locating two explosive-rigged cars in the northeastern border town of Arsal.

According to the paper, the army is on high-alert to locate the remaining seven vehicles.

On Thursday, the army dismantled a black Kia rigged with 25 kilograms of explosives. It was parked near a military post in the Ain al-Saab region. The military seized on January 15 a booby-trapped car containing around 120 kilograms of explosives in Arsal.

Source: al-Ahed news