As-Safir (Lebanon): Suleiman: No longer waiting to be president, leaving military – Lebanon's army chief General Michel Suleiman told As-Safir newspaper he is fed up with the constant polarization over his presidential candidacy and that his dignity is being harmed by the delay in the crisis which is becoming more complicated. Suleiman said he has decided to retire from the military on Aug. 21 and will not wait to be elected president.

Ash-Sharq al-Awsat (London; Saudi Arabia): Iran denies, Syria confirms Tehran built sites in Damascus to spy on Israel – Syria confirmed and Iran denied Israeli security reports that Tehran has in recent months built advanced surveillance stations in Syria to listen in on Israeli military communications. The head of the Syrian-Iranian relations committee in the Syrian parliament, Muhammad Habash, told Ash-Sharq al-Awsat it is no secret that Syria does all it can to defend the country. However, an Iranian embassy spokesman in Damascus denied his country has built such stations.

Al-Watan (Qatar): Israel to distribute gas masks to civilians – The Israeli authorities have decided to start distributing gas masks to civilians as of early next year in preparation for possible attacks by non-conventional weapons. The decision was made by the security cabinet yesterday.

Az-Zaman (London; Iraq): Iran and Kuwait seal their borders with Iraq due to security deterioration – Iran said yesterday it has stopped exporting supplies to Iraq. Saudi Arabia said tons of cement bound for Iraq is stuck on its borders. And Egypt advised its citizens against traveling to the country, because of the deteriorating security conditions. Iranian border officials said exports to Iraq have stopped in recent days, as Iraqi merchants have stayed away due to fighting in the south. Thousands of tons of cement bound for Iraq have also been stuck on the Saudi-Kuwaiti border, because of the deteriorating situation in Basra.

Al-Bayan (United Arab Emirates): Sadr and Iran stronger after Basra operation – When Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki decided to launch an unprecedented military offensive to take control of oil-rich Basra, he did not calculate the repercussions of the operation aimed at cracking down on the al-Mahdi Army, led by Shiite leader Moqtada Sadr. Politicians said al-Mahdi Army elements proved capable in keeping their weapons in the face of the government forces, adding the operation only strengthened Sadr and his Iranian backers.