Lebanese Officials Defend Army against Jumblat’s Criticism
Lebanese officials have slammed Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat for criticizing army chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji as a person with limited capabilities.
In remarks to As Safir daily published Friday, the unidentified officials stressed that the army has made a series of achievements whether in southern Lebanon or other areas and has prevented Israel from encroaching on Lebanese territories during its construction of a separation wall on the border.
The military has also exerted strong efforts to prevent arms smuggling and the infiltration of gunmen along the border with Syria, they said, adding that the army’s latest achievement was the interception of the Lutfallah II vessel off the Lebanese northern coast.
The ship was smuggling three containers of arms to Syrian rebels fighting the regime of President Bashar Assad.
The army rejects any attempt to drag it to internal disputes to prevent it from carrying out its mission in keeping security, the sources told As Safir.
They said politicians from across the political spectrum should steer the army clear of their disputes and allow it to implement its missions.
Their remarks came in response to a criticism made by Jumblat to the army’s role in Lebanon during a PSP rally last Sunday.
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