March 8 Criticizes Suleiman's Speech on Army Day
President Michel Suleiman's speech marking Lebanon's 68th Army Day drew criticism on Friday from the March 8 alliance, which considered that it solely targeted the resistance.
Sources close to Hizbullah said in comments published in al-Joumhouria newspaper that the president's stances come amid a “systematic” foreign campaign against Hizbullah.
The European Union decision on July 25 to blacklist Hizbullah's military wing as a terrorist organization.
The Gulf Cooperation Council also decided to adopt several measures against Hizbullah members in the council's member-states as a response to the party's involvement in the Syrian crisis.
Prominent sources in the March 8 coalition told An Nahar newspaper that Suleiman's speech clearly differentiates between the Army's weapons and those of Hizbullah, and an explicit call on monopolizing the resistance's arms.
The president lashed out during his speech on Thursday at the military interventions in Syria, without naming any sides, saying the blood of Lebanese should not be sacrificed to serve the interests of other countries.
“The army's role would be difficult if a party or more get involved in conflicts outside Lebanon,” he said.
Suleiman called for a review of the national defense strategy in light of Hizbullah’s involvement in Syria, while stressing the state should enjoy a monopoly over the use of military force to defend Lebanon’s sovereignty.
Syrian government troops are backed by Hizbullah members in their fight against rebels seeking to topple President Bashar Assad.
Hizbullah has played a major role in a battle last month in the town of al-Qusayr, which is near Lebanon's northeastern border, and lost scores of men there.
But Suleiman said that “true martyrdom is only in the defense of the nation … The Lebanese people want sacrifices for Lebanon.”
The sources hoped that Suleiman would safeguard the resistance instead of criticizing it.
Nasrallah will make a televised speech on the occasion of Jerusalem Day on Friday.
The sources expected that Nasrallah will tackle the need to resume the national dialogue and the importance of safeguarding the resistance.
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