Ash-Sharq al-Awsat (London; Saudi Arabia): Abul Gheit: Lebanese crisis will not be solved in 2008 – Egypt's Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit was not optimistic that the Lebanese crisis would be solved in the near future and ruled out a solution to the presidential crisis in 2008, because of the internal and regional complications.
In comments made in Paris yesterday, he called for the Lebanese to accept dialogue among themselves, on the condition that there are guarantees the dialogue would not be a mere waste of time.
An-Nahar (Lebanon): U.N. reveals a breach south of the Litani for the first time – The U.N. announced the presence of armed elements south of the Litani River for the first time since Resolution 1701 was issued to end the Israeli war on southern Lebanon in the summer of 2006.
The U.N. peacekeeping forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) reported an incident on 30-31 March, during which a U.N. patrol stopped a car with five armed elements in it, who refused to identify themselves and left the site, saying this was a violation of Resolution 1701 and impedes UNIFIL's work in the south.
Al-Bayan (United Arab Emirates): Abu Mazen before meeting Bush: Secret talks with Israel and no refugees to remain in Lebanon – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) said the negotiations with the Israelis are being carried out in complete secrecy, adding he will urge U.S. President George W. Bush, when they meet in Washington today, to accelerate these negotiations.
Abbas also said that the issue of Palestinian refugees, especially those in Lebanon, will be resolved, insisting that there will be no Palestinian refugees left in Lebanon.
Al-Hayat al-Jadeeda (West Bank): Syrian minister: Olmert told Turkey Israel is ready to give up the Golan – Syria's Expatriates Minister Buthaina Shaaban said yesterday that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told Turkey that Israel is ready to give up the Golan Heights to Syria in return for peace.
Syrian reports had earlier said that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan informed Syria of Israel's willingness to completely withdraw from the Golan, adding that the Turkish premier telephoned Syrian President Bashar Assad on Tuesday to relay this message.
Az-Zaman (London; Iraq): Baathist spokesmen deny arrest of al-Douri – More than one source close to the banned Iraqi Baath Party have denied leaked reports that the party leader, former Vice President Izzat al-Douri, has been arrested, saying these were just rumors. In the past five years during his disappearance, it was announced several times that al-Douri, suffering from a number of illnesses, had died.