Lebanon's Arabic press digest

A visit to Beirut Wednesday by U.N. envoy Lakhdar Brahimi only affirmed Lebanese fears of the widening repercussions of the Syria crisis on neighboring countries, including Lebanon. Brahimi deliberately chose Beirut to issue his warning of the dangers of the widening Syria crisis, which will "consume everything and everybody." His remarks did not obscure the complexities of the salary crisis and the whirlpool of strikes caused by it. Another issue that raised concerns during the "Conference of Natural Disaster Management” was the risk of earthquakes. U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Robert Watkins warned in an interjection during the conference that Lebanon is highly vulnerable to earthquakes and tsunamis in addition to natural disasters. However, he underlined the need for a number of measures that would reduce the risk. In remarks to An-Nahar late Wednesday, Moeen Hamzeh, the secretary-general of the National Council for Scientific Research, said that Watkins meant to “urge the Lebanese government to hasten the establishment of the Independent Disaster Management Committee in Lebanon.” From : The Daily Star.