An Event and a Regional Trend

Arab and international press published reports about the Saudi internal condition and the information about the presence of hundreds of detained Saudis in a number of states including Syria and Lebanon due to their involvement in security operations or in forming terrorist networks, in addition to the number of the Saudis, who were killed or are still inside Nahr Al-Bared camp.
These considerations explain the formation of a civil organization under the title of human rights which prepares to send delegations to the involved states in Europe and the area to numerate the prisoners and discuss their conditions. This organization which was formed due to pressures from the families of the prisoners, who belong to extremist groups, or who are involved in the groups formed by the US project of reinstruction, which is directed by Bandar Ben Abdul Aziz, works now in Lebanon to recognize the Saudi casualties and identify their identity.
An informed expert in the file of the extremist networks said Saudi Arabia is passing through a big internal problem that forms a source of danger to European, Mediterranean and Arab states, and this threatens the regional stability and deprives the Saudi collaborators with Dick Cheney’s project of any credibility to participate in any serious work to achieve stability.

An Event and a Lebanese Tendency

Today is the first day of the Lebanese sides’ dialogue meeting in Paris in the presence of French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner and some of his assistants and a number of the representatives of the Lebanese sides who participated in the dialogue which was directed by House Speaker Nabih Berri, but this description does not apply to all the participants.
What is remarkable in the climates of preparations is the French stand which stressed keeping equal distance from all the Lebanese sides, and also the corridor meetings which will take place, according to press information, between ambassador Jean-Claude Cousseran and some officials from the French foreign ministry and Hezbollah delegation, which is chaired by the resigned minister Muhammad Fneish, and official of foreign relations in the party Nawaf al-Musawi, who follows up the party’s relations with France since a long time.
Observers said: the meeting may only result in a recommendation that stresses the continuity of dialogue and an agenda that includes the topics of dispute, while information said the French foreign minister tries to direct the mechanisms of the dialogue through specific questions on presidential elections, the unity government and forming a database that France may need in its future endeavors in the area, which may develop in the light of news about the growing difficulties that the Bush administration is facing in the Middle East. This will provide Nicolas Sarkozy with an opportunity to activate the French move through openness on Tehran and Damascus and the Lebanese opposition. This may also save the US from its crisis and reproduce the image of the acceptable French mediator in the area.

Arab and International Press

Agence France Press quoted the Israeli paper Ma’ariv as saying that Israeli Prime Minister Olmert has paid a secret visit to Jordan and discussed with Jordanian king Hamas’s control of Gaza.
The Israeli paper Ha’aretz said there is some progress between Israel and Syria, described it as warm, pointing out that secret negotiators between Syria and Israel ascended a step and surpassed the stage of feeling the pulse.
The Israeli press said the Israeli security forces study a Palestinian demand to allow founder of the popular front for the liberation of Palestine, and its head Naif Hwatmeh, to enter the West Bank.
Arab and international press agencies said the US Congress approved yesterday a law that demanded the withdrawal of the US forces from Iraq on April 2008, as a final deadline.
Al-Bayan paper said there is a popular desire in Britain to liberate the country from the prison of the US policy, and the statements of some officials of the new government reflect this desire.
The US peace envoy to the Middle East during Clinton’s term Dennis Ross said in an interview with Berliner Morgenpost, a German paper, that Israel is secretly preparing to attack Iranian nuclear installations.
Arab and International Press Agencies said president Bush said he is aware of the deterioration of his popularity in the US and does not feel regret for launching war on Iraq.
Arab and International Press quoted the US Pentagon as saying that it will reduce the US naval presence in the world, next August.
Arab and International Press Agencies said the Israeli minimized ministerial council gave the green light for assassinating Ismail Haniyeh.

Lebanese Press

Al-Akhbar said Lebanese delegations’ arrival to Paris is completed, pointing out that the French Foreign minister asked Lebanese sides to abstain from contacting the press during the meeting in order to avoid any foreign intervention.
Lebanese press focused on condition in Nahr Al-Bared camp in the aftermath of the eruption of the new violent clashes and Fatah al-Islam’ launching of Katiusha missiles on civilian areas.
Ad-Diyar said the Lebanese security organs are watching the fundamentalists’ movements and fear new terrorist attacks.
Representative Michel Aoun said in a talk to Agence France Presse that he is the key to the solution of Lebanon’s crisis, because he is independent and loves Lebanon and can bridge the gap between all the Lebanese sides.
Arab Satellite Stations Interviews

Al-Alem
Special Covering
Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, chairman of the regime interest assessment council in Iran said that the international community and the International Atomic Energy Agency should support Iran’s peaceful nuclear project.

Television Stations’ News in Lebanon

The NTV said as the Paris dialogue meeting starts, head of the international investigation commission Serge Brammertz holds important talks in Washington.
The LBC said participants started to arrive to the prison of dialogue in Paris, which will start today.
The Future said the Lebanese are looking forward to the Paris dialogue, while battles escalate in Nahr Al-Bared camp.

Television Stations’ News in Lebanon

Al-Manar
The Hour’s Talk
Representative Hassan Yakub said the Lebanese resistance’s victory is strategic and historic, while the journalist Joseph Abu Fadel said all the majority have dealt with Israel. For his part, Sharbel Kfoury, member of the national bloc executive committee said he does not fear electing general Aoun as a president in a democratic way.