Salam Advocates 'Legitimate' Arms to Protect Lebanon

Prime Minister Tammam Salam has rejected calls for taking up arms against militants, saying only the arsenal of the Lebanese army and Internal Security forces is legitimate.

In remarks to several local newspapers published on Thursday, Salam said: “There are no weapons except for the legitimate arms of the Lebanese army and all the security agencies.”

Those weapons were capable of salvaging the country from huge dangers, such as plots to carry out suicide bombings, Salam said.

They have also confronted strife and jihadists in the northeastern border town of Arsal that threatened the entire nation, he added.

“There are no weapons better and safer than legitimate arms, which belong to all the Lebanese,” Salam told the dailies.

The Lebanese have paid a high price during the country's 1975-1990 civil war by resorting to the arms of militias, he said.

The prime minister's remarks came after he was asked by reporters about rumors that people have taken up arms to confront the danger of the Islamic State, whose fighters along with gunmen from the al-Qaida linked al-Nusra Front overran Arsal earlier this month.

The jihadists engaged in heavy battles with the Lebanese army, leaving scores dead and injured. They withdrew a few days later but took with them hostages from the military and security forces.

Salam hoped that a newly announced Saudi military grant of $1 billion would be made swiftly to meet the needs of the army and security agencies.

He ruled out divisions on the issue, saying they are in favor of all citizens.

Salam visited Speaker Nabih Berri in Ain el-Tineh on Wednesday.

He told the newspapers that his meeting tackled the presidential deadlock and the efforts exerted to resolve it.

But he stressed that no progress has yet been made to agree on the name of a candidate.

Rival MPs have so far failed to elect a new head of state over differences on a compromise candidate. Their dispute left the country's top Christian post vacant when President Michel Suleiman's six-year term ended in May.

G.K.

H.K.