Qahwaji Hails Saudi Arabia's Staunch Support to Lebanon

إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية W460

Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji hailed on Sunday the efforts exerted by Saudi Arabia to safeguard Lebanon, stressing that the “time is not right to reply to the insults” made by Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah against Riyadh and the Gulf states.

“On behalf of myself and the Lebanese people I would like to thank the kingdom” for its grants to the Lebanese army,” Qahwaji said in comments published in the pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat.

“The aid will develop the capabilities of the Lebanese army and increase its readiness to combat terrorism and defend its border... which will improve the situation,” Qahwaji stressed.

He confirmed that French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian will deliver on Monday the first batch of arms to the Lebanese army under a Saudi financed deal.

Saudi Arabia and France inked the arms deal in Riyadh in November.

The deal also includes training programs for the Lebanese army run by the French military.

It aims to boost Lebanon's military as it struggles to contain the rising tide of violence linked to the civil war in neighboring Syria.

In August, the kingdom also offered another $1 billion in funds to allow the army to purchase supplies immediately.

Asked about Nasrallah's recent campaign against Saudi Arabia over its offensive against Shiite Huthi rebels in Yemen, Qahwaji refused to comment.

“The time is not currently right to respond to the insults issued by Nasrallah against Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries,” the military commander said.

In a televised speech on Friday, Nasrallah launched his harshest criticism yet of Saudi Arabia, blaming the kingdom for the spread of extremist ideology in the Muslim world and the killing of civilians in Yemen.

He told hundreds of supporters at a rally in Beirut southern suburbs organized in support of Huthis that Saudi-led airstrikes targeting them have not led to victory.

Since March 26, the Saudi-led coalition has been pounding the rebels and allied fighters loyal to Yemen's ousted President Saleh.

Nasrallah said that the kingdom will soon realize that "the only choice left" is a ground operation in Yemen — a "ground invasion will be costly and will end with a defeat."

Both the Huthis and Hizbullah are backed by Iran.

Nasrallah called on the Muslim world to pressure the Saudis to end the airstrikes and work for a political solution in Yemen.

However, he said no solution will restore Western-backed President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi who fled the country as his government crumbled. Saudi officials and the international community say Hadi is the legitimate president of Yemen.

"Time has come for Muslims, Arabs and the Muslim world to tell the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: 'Enough,'" said Nasrallah.

The army issued a communique later on Sunday stressing that Qahwaji didn't tackle in his comments to Asharq al-Awsat daily any political affair, whether local or regional.

“Qahwaji only made remarks about the Saudi grant for the Lebanese army and the French weapons,” the statement added.

Comments 28
Thumb ex-fpm 19 April 2015, 09:15

he will imminently be branded wahabi salafi:)

Thumb geha 19 April 2015, 10:40

Good speech from Kahwaji.

Thumb barrymore 19 April 2015, 09:32

Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji hailed on Sunday the efforts exerted by Saudi Arabia to safeguard Lebanon, stressing that the “time is not right to reply to the insults” made by Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah against Riyadh and the Gulf states.

If anybody knows how much Saudi Arabia helped Lebanon, this man does. Enough said!

Thumb Mystic 19 April 2015, 14:47

About time this commander resigned. There has been too much charm towards wahabis these days.

Thumb Mystic 19 April 2015, 15:48

Exposed who? They expose themselves when they say this garbage, the LAF is supposed to be a neutral from politics, we still say God bless the LAF.

But we need a new commander now, we can't have a commander hailing states support takfirism in this country.

Missing ArabDemocrat.com 19 April 2015, 19:27

Mystic - you exposed yourself here and in previous posts that you (and your so-called family) as supporters of HA and not the army. You made it clear that the army will split in a confrontation with the Hizb, One would have hoped that your relatives in the Hizb would split and support the army. Too much to expect from traitors.

Missing ArabDemocrat.com 19 April 2015, 19:27

Mystic - you exposed yourself here and in previous posts that you (and your so-called family) as supporters of HA and not the army. You made it clear that the army will split in a confrontation with the Hizb, One would have hoped that your relatives in the Hizb would split and support the army. Too much to expect from traitors.

Thumb marcus 19 April 2015, 09:39

When president Suleiman spoke out against hezbollah he was attacked and called every name under the sun by the axis of treason. Qahwaji's words will bring him nothing but the wrath of the same axis and make him a collaborator and a traitor.

Missing humble 19 April 2015, 10:44

Traitors are followers of the Farsi empire.

Thumb EagleDawn 19 April 2015, 11:01

one cannot even begin to start pointing out the pointlessness and irrelevance of your comment, so instead, i'm gonna share with you a yummy recipe for a white chocolate and blueberry cheesecake:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/White-Chocolate-Blueberry-Cheesecake/Detail.aspx?evt19=1&referringHubId=17263

Thumb EagleDawn 19 April 2015, 12:13

flamethrower
did al manar ever reply to you after Mystic gave you their email address?

Thumb ex-fpm 19 April 2015, 10:04

وثائق “در شبيغل”: “داعش” صنيعة نظام الأسد لتشويه الثورة
I encourage everybody to read Spiegel uncovering of ISIS origins and funding by Assad regime.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/islamic-state-files-show-structure-of-islamist-terror-group-a-1029274.html
also:
AFP - Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said Monday that 90 percent of foreign terrorists who infiltrate Iraq did so via Syria, a charge likely to worsen already fractured relations between the neighbouring states
http://www.france24.com/en/20090901-maliki-blames-syria-attacks-assad-denies-claim-/

Missing imagine_1979 19 April 2015, 11:43

Flame i love ur sources: try voltairenet u'll love it...
Still u have a sectarian millicia raising iranian flag in our country, batteling proudely under the banner of ya hussein in irak syria and maybe yemen and god knows where and yet u go search for conspiracy theories (there might be some truth in that but why do u tend to ommit the obvious??...

Thumb EagleDawn 19 April 2015, 12:07

flamethrower's best reference provided is:
1newsjunkie.blogpost.com
LOL

Missing mohammad_ca 19 April 2015, 12:42

oh come on guys, how can you compare respectable news organizations to blogs written by nobodys???

Missing mohammad_ca 19 April 2015, 14:34

Southern. Assuming you are correct who pays those "independent " writers. Also please learn English grammar before commenting in English it really is quite annoying.

Thumb Mystic 19 April 2015, 15:45

mohamed likes to read about Ibn Taymiyahs conquests.

Missing humble 19 April 2015, 10:43

Old hablanet x 1000000000000000000

Thumb EagleDawn 19 April 2015, 10:48

what happened to your daily "God bless the LAF" diatribe, lebpatriot?

Default-user-icon illegitimate&illiterate.southern (Guest) 19 April 2015, 12:07

best comment since the saudi aggression against the obbressed beoble of yemen.

Missing peace 19 April 2015, 12:27

we expect NOTHING from you hezbi lovers in terms of credibility...
sleiman was a very good president for M8( they even mocked M14 when he was elected!) at the beginning then when talked against hezbollah he became a zionist...
M8 fakes to support the army but when its commander in chief talks against hezbi propaganda he is bought by saudis...

maybe you should try and see that YOU may be wrong in your desperate race for power and support for iran more than in Lebanon....
but what to expect from empty brains... an iranian echo....

Thumb Mystic 19 April 2015, 14:51

Sulaiman was a saudi paid stooge, too bad if Qahwaji moves in the same direction.

Missing peace 19 April 2015, 17:40

as i said: M8 praised him but now they just spit on him as he dared criticize hezbollah in patriotic stances....

pityful idiot M8ers, no logic nor loyalty whatsoever, just cowards...

Default-user-icon + oua nabka + (Guest) 19 April 2015, 12:29

politics is for politicians
and please mr Qahwaji could you tell us who gave the green light so the terrorists that kidnapped our soldiers leave arsal area to the moutnains ?!!!!
god bless democracy

Thumb galaxy 19 April 2015, 12:41

الامير بن مساعد يرد على نصرالله بقصيدة: “على قدر هول الحزم تهذي العمائم”
رد الأمير عبد الرحمن بن مساعد بن عبد العزيز آل سعود على الأمين العام لـ”حزب الله” حسن نصرالله بقصيدة شعرية تحت عنوان “على قدر هول الحزم تهذي العمائم”.

على قدر هول الحزم تهذي العمائم وتأتي على قدر الذهول الشتائم

يعيد لهم سلمان ذي قار مهلكا ويفني ذيول الفرس منًا الضراغم

أديموا حديث الإفك فالحق أبلج وهل لطريق الحق تهدى البهائم

فنحن حماة الدين سادات عصرنا وذلك ما لم تستسغه الأعاجم

ونحن العلا والخير والصدق والهدى وفي نصرة الإسلام نحن الدعائم

من الغوث والإنقاذ والبر والذرى فسل لا أبا لك سل تجبك العواصم

ونحن جنود الله لستم بحزبه ولا أنتم الأنصار تأبى المكارم

أيا أكذب الفجار أصلا وتقية ألا هل تغطي الشمس منك المزاعم

تقول نقيض الشيء والشيء ذاته ولست بنصر الله أنت الهزائم

ألا نحن عصف الحزم نودي إلى الردى وللصحب والأحباب نحن النسائم

Thumb janoubi 19 April 2015, 13:18

my favorite part is:
ونحن جنود الله لستم بحزبه ولا أنتم الأنصار تأبى المكارم

أيا أكذب الفجار أصلا وتقية ألا هل تغطي الشمس منك المزاعم

تقول نقيض الشيء والشيء ذاته ولست بنصر الله أنت الهزائم

brilliant!

Thumb janoubi 19 April 2015, 13:26

you are not worth a reply.
you are an inept creature who has no life but to stalk people.

Thumb canadianpaul 19 April 2015, 14:42

Next week's speech by Sayed Hassan Banadoura: Kahwaji is a takfiri-wahabi-israeli-imperialist agent.

A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes. - Mark Twain