President Michel Suleiman on Tuesday stressed that Lebanon can confront the repercussions of the turmoil in the region, but warned of the domestic threats.

“The outer storm around us can be warded off, but the threat comes from the little despicable storms inside the country,” the president said during a tour of the Jbeil region.

The Mustaqbal bloc noted on Tuesday that former minister Michel Samaha’s arrest uncovers to the entire world the Syrian regime’s “criminal intentions” towards Lebanon.

It therefore demanded after its weekly meeting “the suspension of the security agreement between Lebanon and Syria.”

Head of the Free Patriotic Movement MP Michel Aoun hoped on Tuesday that the case of former minister Michel Samaha would not be exploited politically.

He said before reporters the Change and Reform bloc’s weekly meeting in Rabiyeh: “Let the judiciary perform its duties in the case.”

The Lebanese Forces criticized on Tuesday Energy Minister Jebran Bassil for his accusations that the LF and the Phalange Party had reneged on the decisions reached at Bkirki on an electoral draft-law to satisfy al-Mustaqbal Movement chief Saad Hariri and Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat.

It said in a statement: “Followers are those who abandon national principles.”

Maronite Patriach Beshara al-Rahi stressed on Tuesday the importance of the national dialogue, saying that officials who do not attend the all-party talks will be on the losing end in Lebanon.

He said: “The national dialogue tackles national causes and Lebanon’s salvation is linked to the talks.”

A Lebanese man has disappeared after gathering around $3 million from investors whom he had promised to return their deposits with very high interest rates, As Safir daily reported on Tuesday.

The newspaper identified the man from the eastern town of Bednayel as A. Safar, who convinced the investors in his village and nearby towns to provide him with cash in return of up to 40 percent monthly interest.

Hizbullah denied on Monday that the Free Syrian Army captured a member of the party in Damascus, Hizbullah's media relations department said.

“Al-Arabiya news channel reported that the FSA detained a member of Hizbullah identified as Sayyed Hassan Salim al-Meqdad. The party denies these claims,” said the statement.

Head of the private school teachers association Nehme Mahfoud threatened on Tuesday to resume a strike if the cabinet failed to implement an agreement on the new salaries scale for the public sector.

“We will return to our negative stance again, the 2nd round of the official exams and the school year are endangered,” Mahfoud told Voice of Lebanon radio (100.5).

Energy Minister Jebran Bassil accused the Phalange party and the Lebanese Forces on Tuesday of reneging on the decisions reached in Bkirki on an electoral draft-law to satisfy al-Mustaqbal movement chief Saad Hariri and Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat.

In an interview with al-Akhbar newspaper, Bassil said a draft-law approved by the government “guarantees the right representation and does not eliminate any Christian.”

Syrian National Council member Bassam al-Imadi stressed on Tuesday that the Syrian regime is “risking its most important cards” in Lebanon by tasking ex-Minister Michel Samaha with carrying out the terrorist plot targeting Lebanon.

President “Bashar Assad, who previously threatened to ignite the region, will not hesitate in sacrificing his allies in Lebanon,” al-Imadi told An Nahar newspaper.