An Event and a Regional

Informed Western Sources said the European Union’s call for dialogue with Syria, due to its special influential statues in the area, expresses the European rejection of responding to US-Saudi pressures to prevent any openness with Damascus, especially after the Saudi pressures’ success in delaying the visit of the ambassador Jean-Claude Cousseran to Damascus and the scheduled visit of Spanish foreign minister Miguel Angel Moratinos. The sources confirm that the Saudi King has demanded this delay during his visit to both Madrid and Paris.
Observes say that Europe rejects these pressures due to what the commissioner of the European Union Javier Solana described as the danger of terror threat on the European continent and its security when he pointed out to the link between extremist groups in Lebanon like Fatha al-Islam and Al-Qaeda; dropping all the other suggestions and additions which are included in the Lebanese authorities’ reports.
Solana also expressed serious fears from their groups’ movement from Lebanon to Gaza, which may complicate the area’s crisis.
The European sources say that the Europeans’ experiences confirm the vitality of the Syrian role, which nobody can jump over and those who pressurize Europe can not guarantee avoiding the dangers that can be avoided through cooperation with Syria.

An Event and a Lebanese Trend

The Paris Dialogue Forum, which will be held in La Celle saint-Cloud (near Paris), is approaching, but observers think that this meeting will not lead to real understandings despite France’s insistence on issuing at least, a declaration of intentions at the conclusion of this dialogue.
Press reports in Beirut quoted an informed European diplomat, who followed up the forum’s preparation communications, as saying that Hezbollah is the major winner in this dialogue before holding it because it succeeded in extracting a French commitment not to include it in the list of terrorism, in the aftermath of President Nicolas Sarkozy’s statement against the party, which was officially corrected by another presidential statement, and by this France guaranteed the credibility of its call to dialogue between the opposition and the loyals in Lebanon.
Some analysts said that France has achieved another result which is laying the foundation of the new French stand towards the area’s condition and Lebanese crisis despite pressures from the US and pro-Israel lobbies in France.

Arab and International Press

Iranian press focused on the issue of resuming dialogue with the US, remembering the history of British colonialism, the distribution of gasoline and dispute between Fath and Hamas.
Some Iranian papers warned from the trap of negotiations with America and analyzed the influence of sanctions on the economic sector in Iran.
The Saudi paper Al-Sharq al-Awsat quoted adviser of Iran’s spiritual leader Ali Khamenei and editor-in-chief of Keyhan paper Hussein Shariatmadari as saying he did not receive a green light from Ali Khamenei before publishing the editorial, which considers Bahrain as part of Iran, raising by this endless controversy.
Mateen weekly quoted Iranian officials as saying Iran has no interests in cooperating with Taliban or al-Qaeda and is still a target to these two terrorist organizations.
The Iranian paper Beck (or the Message) quoted Iranian sources as saying that Iran is studying now a proposal from Venezuela to supply it with gasoline.
David Ignatius said in an article published in the Washington Post that the US needs the culture of accountability in the intelligence organs which should start at the White House, pointing out that the bureaucrats of the head of national intelligence office obstruct this accountability.
Nicholas Kristof said in an article in the New York Times that the only way to end Darfur’s crisis is reaching a compromise based on negotiation, but this requires exerting more pressures on Khartoum.
Arab press focused on the Sudanese government’s reports on the existence of Israeli networks, which work to smuggle Sudanese refugees from some states to Israel to mobilize them to serve an Israeli agenda in Sudan.
The New York Sun correspondent said that a high-ranking Syrian official, close to president Bashar al-Assad, has informed him that Syria will start a guerilla war against the Israeli colonies in the occupied Golan if Israel does not withdraw from this area next September.
The correspondent added that Syria founded guerilla organizations under the name of “the Liberation of the Golan Committees”.
United press international quoted the UN Secretary General Bank Ki-Moon as saying in his talk to the BBC that the UN is preparing an emergency plan to contain any sudden change in the US policy in Iraq.
Arab and international press agencies said the White House announced that progress in Iraq is not satisfying.
The United press international quoted the Indian press agency PTI as saying that India intends to cooperate with Israel in developing and producing a medium range surface-to-air missile.

Arab Satellite Stations Interviews

Al-Arabiya
Program: Panorama
One of Hamas leaders, Mahmud al-Zahar said the movement started establishing new security organs in Gaza on a national basis.

Lebanese press

Lebanese press focused on head of the international investigation commission Serge Bramertz’s report, which was submitted to the UN.
The press the investigator did not mention names but announced that the commission discovered the sides involved in the crime and the identity of some persons who are considered as suspects by the committee.
Former Lebanese premier Selim al-Hoss said Lebanon is passing through a dangerous national crisis since 2004, pointing out that the crisis resulted from the resolution 1559 and extending the term of President Emile Lahoud.
The Lebanese press also focused on Nahr al-Bared clashes and the army’s heavy artillery bombardment of the fighters’ positions.
An-Nahar said preparations continued to hold the unofficial dialogue meeting in Paris, pointing out that discussions will focus on enhancing the Lebanese state without any preconditions for dialogue.

Television Stations’ News in Lebanon

Al-Manar focused on the July war anniversary saying Israel committed the biggest folly in its history by launching war.
The NTV said years change, but victory remains victory on Israel.
The NBN said the July war changed into a glorious and historic station for the victory of resistance on occupation.
The LBC said Nahr al-Bared’s crisis approaches its end.

Television Stations News in Lebanon

LBC
Program: People’s Talk
Official of international relations in Hezbollah Nawaf al-Musawi said Israel does not fight on two fronts, pointing out that the July war was a US war to eliminate Hezbollah under an Arab cover.
He added that the victory’s cost was huge and that some Arab and Lebanese mass media were marketing the Israeli victory and the Israeli project.