DAILY SCOPE: Rifi Defeats Hariri in Tripoli, Security Forces Thwart Daesh Attacks in Lebanon

Local Editor

LEBANESE DAILIES:

AS-SAFIR:

This is How Rifi Climbed the "Mistakes Mount" of His Rivals

Iraqi Forces Enter Outskirts of Fallujah

AN-NAHAR:

Tripoli Tremor Opens Files of Defeats and Wins; Repercussions of Rifi's Win and Fadel's Resignation

AL-AKHBAR:

Future Party: Era of Victories Is Over

Post-Municipal Elections: March 14 Mourns Itself

AL-LIWAA:

Fierce Battles n Fallujah, Daesh Retaliates with Suicide Attacks in Baghdad

Lebanese newspapers on Tuesday echoed the atmosphere of the domestic arena in Tripoli following the municipal elections and the big defeat of the Future party on the hands of resigned Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi.

Also, newspapers discussed the thwarting of terrorist operations that were to be carried out by Daesh [Arabic acronym for "ISIS" / "ISIL"] in different Lebanese areas.

AL-AKHB AR: Rifi Broke Hariri's Back; The Era of Victories is Over!

"The Future party has been short-sighted since the beginning of the municipal elections in Lebanon, especially in terms of the electoral race in the North as the Future party Secretary General Ahmad Hariri had assured that the coalition formed by the Future party and its allies was to teach former Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi a lesson, yet Tripoli witnessed his big win," read al-Akhbar newspaper on Tuesday.

Political sources from the March 14 camp said that "Ahmad Hariri had assured that Rifi has no chance to break through the list of coalition and win in Tripoli, which proved that the Future party leadership is very far from the people."

"If Ahmad Hariri [head of the Future party in the North] seems to be that far from the people of Tripoli and is not aware of the situation and the mood of the public, this implies that MP Saad Hariri is living on Mars!" read the newspaper.

"In politics, the status of the Future party will not be the same as before the elections; everything has changed and Rifi has turned the table over the heads of the players in Tripoli, with the Future party topping the list," the paper said, adding "This is the first time when a rebel was able to challenge Hariri and win on the popular level."

AS-SAFIR: Rifi Turns Table against Hariri, Salam

The resigned Justice Minsiter Ashraf Rifi overnight and all of a sudden became the Sunni leader acknowledged by the people after he was labeled as the rebel who turned the table against the Future party and was accused of being reckless and of standing at the edge of suicide, said As-Safir newspaper on Tuesday.

According to the paper, "the shock lies in the fact that the two political leaders MP Saad Hariri and Prime Minister Tammam Salam were defeated on the hands of Rifi, who was majorly supported by them as they facilitated his transfer from the military institution into the "political club"."

As-Safir added that the big win of Rifi proved that the Future party lost the battle especially since Tripoli was considered to be the political and popular hub of the party.

Lebanese Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi, who was known as one of the staunch defenders and allies of Future Party head Saad Hariri declared his resignation from the government in February, without prior consultation or notice.

AL-JOMHOURIA: Security Forces Thwart Daesh Terrorist Operations in Lebanon

On another note, Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq revealed that the security apparatuses in Lebanon were able to thwart Deash schemes that were to be carried out in crowded areas in Beirut, reported al-Jomhouria newspaper on Tuesday.

The minister said that the security forces and army intelligence have waged the "fiercest battle" against the terrorist groups, which uncovered and thwarted that Daesh had plotted to carry out a massacre in one of the residential streets of Beirut.

According to the revealed information, Daesh was planning to carry out an operation in an area crowded with cafes and nightclubs in Beirut, which would be similar to the terrorist attack carried out in Paris.

Moreover, the paper said that the terrorist group has prepared its organization in Lebanon at the logistical and structural levels to become able to launch quality strikes against Lebanon similar to the attacks carried out in Belgium and France, and by that please its leadership in Syria's Raqqa.

Source: al-Ahed News