Jumblat: West Should Not Forget Lebanon in its Battle against Terrorism
Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat noted on Monday that Lebanon is carrying a “major burden” in combating terrorism, which should lead to providing it with proper military and logistic support.
He said in his weekly editorial in the PSP-affiliated al-Anbaa website: “The West should not forget Lebanon in its plan to combat terrorism.”
Led by the United States, the West announced last week the formation of an international coalition, which includes Lebanon, aimed at combating the Islamic State jihadist group in Iraq and Syria.
Moreover, Jumblat rejected the criticism directed against the Lebanese army, saying that it is “necessary” to support the military institution and back it politically given the regional threats.
He welcomed Saudi Arabia's one billion dollar grant to the army, but wondered what happened with the three billion dollar grant it had announced in 2013.
“Why is it that we only hear unconfirmed reports about it?” he asked.
In addition, the lawmaker noted that given the “institutional vacuum in Lebanon and the lack of funds for the state's needs … I call for reconsidering mandatory military enlistment until the needed funds are provided to the army.”
Saudi Arabia announced in August that it would dedicate one billion dollars to the army to help it combat terrorism.
The development came in light of the army's battles with Islamist militants in the northeastern border town of Arsal in August.
Last December, Saudi Arabia agreed to finance a $3 billion deal to purchase military equipment and weapons from France for the Lebanese army, which has long complained of being sorely under-equipped.
In August, Saudi Ambassador Ali Awadh Asiri said that Riyadh's pledge to assist the Lebanese army in December was not mere ink on paper.
M.T.
G.K.
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