With the successive failings at more than one Syrian opposition political front, it seems that the conspirators have decided to avenge their defeats by pulling Syrian blood.
After the Damascus twin blasts Saturday, terrorism struck Sunday again in Aleppo while questions are raised on the end of this violent chain.
In Lebanon, the week opens its doors on a series of files that start with citizens' health and reaches oil and electricity.
This comes as the majority's poles intensified their political consultations aimed to launch a comprehensive governmental workshop.
Berri, Mikati: Oil Key Step
In this context, a meeting was held Saturday between House Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Najib Mikati.
The meeting came after Berri warned Friday that the parliament would hold the government accountable unless a decree to manage the oil sector and begin drawing tenders was issued before the end of this month.
In an interview with "as-Safir" Lebanese daily, Mikati uncovered that "the meeting discussed all the raised issues in particular the agenda of the legislative session scheduled next Wednesday, and the path of extra spending drafts."
Commenting on the escalation of political debates, Mikati said: "there is nothing new in the political speech."
"Escalation does not help, and through calm we can accommodate all things and in order to preserve stability. At the end, everything will pass," he stressed.
In parallel, it is expected that Lebanon takes a key step this week on the road of serious investment of this wealth.
According to various dailies, the government is to set the decree of oil governing body on its Wednesday's 73 items' agenda.
For his part, Energy Minister Gebran Bassil called the government to move into executive steps and expedite the issuance of appointing oil governing body members in preparation for launching tenders.
In remarks to "as-Safir", Bassil considered "what the government will do on its next session is confirm what is certain."
"We have to think aboutthe phase after the decree ...and most importantly not to be interrupted by routine administrative procedures of the Civil Service Board," the minister hoped.
Raad: "Israeli" Attack on Water, Oil to Destabilize Region
Meanwhile, a senior diplomatic source told the same daily that "in the next few days, the oil file is to be moved through Lebanese diplomatic circles towards UN ratification to maritime borders."
"This aims at preventing "Israel" from infringing on these rights, especially with so much talk lately about contacts between US and "Israeli" companies to invest in oil and gas fields within the disputed borders with Lebanon," the source clarified.
The oil developments came as the Head of "Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc" MP Mohammad Raad received Saturday Cypriot Foreign Minister Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis.
The FM stressed that "her country's relation with "Israel" won't be at Lebanon's interests."
"In turn, we expressed our readiness to embrace any action that would reinforce and develop Lebanese-Cypriot ties in a way that serves the interests of the two countries," Raad told "as-Safir".
He further confirmed that it "is our right to invest all our territorial waters, without allowing the "Israeli" enemy to perform any confiscation."
"Therefore, any attack on our waters, or our oil and gas right would affect the region and push it towards instability," the MP vowed.
Aoun: Geagea Lost Battle, Jumblatt Burned His Life Boats
For his part, Head of "Change and Reform" bloc MP Michel Aoun viewed that "the other team (March 14) is suffering a state of confusion after its bets and projects on the fall of the Syrian regime went in vain."
"The Chief Executive of the Lebanese Forces, Samir Geagea, lost his nerve and went out of his way, as he is aware of the fact that he lost the battle on both the Syrian and Lebanese fronts," Aoun asserted.
Aoun also said that "the confrontation in Syria entered the phase of decisiveness, at the strategic level i.e. the clash of big choices, though the crisis's security and political symptoms are not over yet."
He further noted that "developments are moving in the direction that we had expected from the beginning, in terms of the regime's steadfastness and track of reform."
Highlighting that "the Head of the National Struggle Front MP Walid Jumblatt turned to Tariq Bin Ziyad, after burning all his ships, and even the lifeboats," Aoun stated "I do not know how he would return to the beach."
Baragwaneth, Cohen in Beirut
At another level, "al-Akhbar" daily reported Monday that President of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon Judge David Baragwaneth will arrive in Lebanon on the 1st of April .
"Baragwanath has informed the Lebanese authorities about his expected visit in an official letter sent to Lebanon's embassy in the Netherlands," sources told the daily.
Unveiling that "the STL president will ink a memorandum of understanding with head of the Bar Association in Beirut and Tripoli," the daily reported that "Baragwanath will hold meetings with senior Lebanese officials, academics, diplomats, and reporters."
Sources revealed that Baragwanath and his Lebanese vice president, Judge Ralph Riachi, held a meeting with a high-ranking Lebanese diplomat at the Lebanese embassy in the Netherlands in February.
"The meeting was aimed at setting the agenda of the STL president's expected visit to Lebanon in April," the daily said.
"Baragwanath described the meeting as productive and useful, in order to launch the tribunal's campaign against Hizbullah and its allies, who are questioning its credibility," al-Akhbar said.
In another reflection of pressure on Lebanon, "an-Nahar" reported that "US under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David Cohen is scheduled to arrive in Beirut Tuesday."
"He is to address the issue of financial dealings during his talks," the paper added pointing out that "the US official is expected to urge Lebanon to abide by the US and European Union sanctions imposed on Syria."
Source: Lebanese Newspapers, Translated and Edited by moqawama.org
