Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat condemned on Monday the “base” political and media rhetoric being adopted by some officials in the country, noting that they have gone so low as to attack the country’s martyrs.

He said in his weekly editorial in the PSP-affiliated al-Anbaa magazine: “All political sides should exercise some humility and return to the national dialogue, which is the only way to protect Lebanon in this critical stage.”

Member of the parliamentary Human Rights Committee MP Ghassan Mokhaiber stressed on Monday that officials are following up on the kidnapping of Syrian opposition member Shebli al-Aisamy.

He said after holding talks with a delegation from the captive’s family that MP Akram Shehayeb is following up on the issue, adding that they will be holding a meeting with General Prosecutor Saeed Mirza to this end.

Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour defended on Monday Lebanon’s position of distancing itself from the Syrian crisis and Arab League decisions on the unrest.

He said before a delegation from the Editors Syndicate: “Our special ties with Syria force Lebanon to take a stand that would not harm its interests.”

U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon ad interim Robert Watkins on Monday briefed Interior Minister Marwan Charbel on the preparations for the next report on the implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the July 2006 war between Israel and Hizbullah.

The report is due to be presented to the Security Council at the end of February.

Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel said on Monday that there are ongoing contacts with a number of Syrian officials, including the head of the opposition Syrian National Council Burhan Ghalioun.

“The contacts are aimed at inquiring about the Lebanese missing in Syria,” Gemayel said in a press conference.

A soldier whose relatives blocked the only highway connecting the capital to southern Lebanon on Monday to protest his “disappearance” has showed up one day too late for work, state-run National News Agency reported.

“He had been missing from his home since yesterday morning over personal reasons,” NNA said.

Several al-Mustaqbal movement officials said on Monday that the security forces should have access to telecom data to avert any possible assassination attempt.

In remarks to Radio Orient, al-Mustaqbal movement politburo member Mustafa Alloush said: “Access to the telecom data averts many disasters.”

News about the alleged assassination attempt of the head of the Internal Security Forces Intelligence Branch, Col. Wissam al-Hassan, revealed that Speaker Nabih Berri and Progressive Socialist Party MP Walid Jumblat might also be targeted, according to newspapers published on Monday.

An Nahar daily reported that security agencies urged Berri and Jumblat to take precautions as they move from and into their residences in Ain al-Tineh and Clemenceau.

Almost two weeks before the anniversary of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri’s Feb. 14, 2005 assassination, the Mustaqbal movement hasn’t so far announced any plans on whether it will hold a rally.

The movement’s logistics official, Saleh Faroukh, told An Nahar in remarks published Monday that “the decision hasn’t been taken” yet.

Special Tribunal for Lebanon Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare refused to postpone the release of a new indictment until the renewal of the STL’s cooperation protocol, according to al-Liwaa newspaper published Monday.

An opposition parliamentary source told the daily that Bellemare’s discussions with Lebanese officials during his farewell visit to Beirut last week increased the political tension in the country.