Following are summaries of some of the main stories in a selection of Lebanese newspapers Wednesday. The Daily Star cannot vouch for the accuracy of these reports.
As-Safir: Ghosts hit UNIFIL once again: five injured ... more questions
Nasrallah expands deterrence equation: Israeli oil in return for our oil
The oil confrontation between Lebanon and Israel entered a new phase with the resistance announcing the demarcation of "red lines" against any Israeli attack or harm against our national oil and gas wealth in a sign of expansion of the use of "deterrence and terror" from the land to sea, which was expressed by Hezbollah secretary general Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah who launched a new strategy in the face of Israel – if Israel harms Lebanon’s oil facilities then Israel’s will be targeted – as he assured international companies that they would be safe if they decide to carry out exploration work in Lebanese territorial waters.
Nasrallah also warned Israel of the consequences of beginning investment in the 850 square kilometer sea area on the border with occupied Palestine, which Lebanon considers to be its own, saying Hezbollah will consider this an invasion rather than an issue of dispute.
"We are not calling for war," he said, stressing that “if such a war has been imposed on us, the physical capabilities of the resistance is today better than ever before.”
It seemed clear that Nasrallah devoted his speech to recount the victory of the July [2006] war.
Nasrallah also was keen to set out the resistance’s position regarding the oil issue under the roof of the Lebanese state by announcing his commitment to the government’s decision on the issue of maritime delineation.
Nasrallah did not touch on the attack against UNIFIL in Sidon, but only addressed developments in the Arab world.
Meanwhile, while March 14 jurists moved ahead on the political path during a meeting at Bristol [hotel], the Future parliamentary bloc launched a sharp attack on Hezbollah, saying after the meeting chaired by former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora that the "ongoing provocative media campaign launched by March 8 media outlets against [former] Prime Minister Saad Hariri intended to distort his image, specifically at the request of Hezbollah." It warned that "using such methods could take the country to a different atmosphere that would affect everyone and whose consequences will not be confined to one side."
In south Lebanon, UNIFIL troops came under a new attack Tuesday, raising questions once again about the motive behind the series of ongoing attacks on U.N. peacekeepers of different nationalities – this time targeting the French battalion at the southern entrance to Sidon, where a roadside bomb went off around 6: p.m.
Security sources told As-Safir that the reason behind the low number of casualties was that the bomb was planted in the heart of black dirt to the side of the road, which absorbed the blast.
As-Safir has learned that the bomb consisted of six kilos of TNT and was detonated by command wire, which means that the perpetrators took their time in preparing the attack.
An-Nahar: March 14’s heart with the STL, Nasrallah opens the seafront
Blood of UNIFIL’s Frenchmen flows, aimed at 1701
Gemayel to Sleiman: No dialogue with [Hariri murder] suspects, saints
The new attack on UNIFIL, this time targeting French peacekeepers has invaded the complicated domestic scene focused on the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and the indictment issued by the tribunal against four Hezbollah members [in the 2005 assassination of former statesman Rafik Hariri].
The attack at the southern entrance to Sidon, which came nearly two months after a similar attack on May 27 against Italian troops serving with UNIFIL at the northern entrance to Sidon, seemed to be linked to a series of considerations, most notably the imminent renewal of UNIFIL on the basis of the implementation of Resolution 1701, which ended the July 2006 and included a rule to move from a cease-fire to a long-term solution. One of these rules is "the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon," which is a controversial issue that prompted President Michel Sleiman to revive national dialogue.
An-Nahar has learned, based on preliminary investigation into the attack against UNIFIL, that the bomb consisted of about eight kilograms of TNT and was detonated by wireless.
As part of consultations initiated by Sleiman to explore the possibility of reviving national dialogue, the President met Tuesday with Kataeb Party leader Amin Gemayel.
An-Nahar has learned that Gemayel warned the President “against the consequences on the presidency of failure of dialogue and [that], consequently, dialogue must strengthen the position of the President after being marginalized in [public] appointments."
“We advocate dialogue and are open to dialogue. But did those who stopped dialogue because of the tribunal and weapons become an advocate of dialogue? What is the value of dialogue before the suspects are brought to justice? Kataeb will not sit at the table with people from a party of which members, regarded as saints, are accused,” Gemayel reportedly told Sleiman.
Al-Mustaqbal: March 14 lawyers call on Ban Ki-moon, Elaraby to continue support for STL until justice is achieved
Hezbollah’s escalation against the STL was met by a unified stand from March 14 lawyers who returned to Bristol once again under the slogan "justice for stability" where they appealed to the Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon and the Secretary General of the Arab League Nabil Elaraby to continue their support for the STL. They also called on Lebanese authorities to bear their responsibilities toward international resolutions and respond to all tribunal requests without procrastination.
But what was remarkable Tuesday is that Nasrallah did not touch on the STL issue directly
On the other hand, MP Michel Aoun commented on the Bristol conference before it kicked off, saying: "I am not committed to [cooperate with] U.N. requests. The tribunal came to Lebanon in a sneaky way and it has to request funding from Siniora and the Future Movement and not from me. We have never seen a tribunal that issues gradual indictments.”
Al-Joumhouria: Lebanon condemns terrorist act, Paris demands prosecution of perpetrators
Once again UNIFIL comes under bombing attack accompanied by a barrage of questions and question marks about the perpetrators, their motive and those who stand behind them at a time Lebanon is seeking U.N. help in demarcation of sea boundaries to prevent Israeli piracy of Lebanese oil wealth. The bombing also came at a time internal consultations were under way to hold a national dialogue meeting and get the rival forces together to put an end to the political divide the country has experienced since the fall of the Hariri government. This split is likely to be aggravated after the government of Prime Minister Najib Mikati embarked on its work with an opposition pledge to topple the Cabinet.
Initial investigation, a copy of which was made available to al-Joumhouria, revealed that the bomb, made of 4.5 kg of TNT and mixed with small iron balls, was detonated by a wire.
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