Lebanese newspaper warns against problems in Lebanon

The Lebanese al-Safir daily newspaper warned against attempts by some "would-be politicians who are incited by the US and France" to weaken Arabism and Syria's stances in Lebanon ahead of the report of the international investigation committee into the assassination of former Lebanese premier Rafiq Hariri.

The paper, in a front-page editorial on Monday, described these attempts as "a bid to assassinate Lebanon on pretext of taking revenge for the killing of Hariri...but the real aim is to strip Lebanon off its Arab identity."

It added that this joint campaign has originated in the U.S. and France and aided by some in Lebanon. "This campaign cannot be isolated from the plots against the whole Arab region," it said.

The paper warned against any form of international "mandate" on Lebanon and from those who seek to exploit the assassination of Hariri to hurt Lebanon in terms of identity and stance.