Hale: Lebanese People Can Defeat Extremists by Staying Committed to the State

U.S. Ambassador David Hale has said that jihadists are seeking to saw the seeds of hate in Lebanon but that the Lebanese are capable of defeating them if they stay committed to state institutions.

“Extremist groups from across the border seek to sow seeds of hate, divide the Lebanese people, and destroy our shared values of mutual respect and understanding,” said Hale on Monday at a ceremony held in BIEL on the occasion of U.S. Independence Day.

“It will take time and perseverance, but those extremists will fail, so long as the Lebanese people remain committed to their state institutions, true to their values which are so much stronger than the false ideology of extremism, and stand by their army and security services,” he said.

Only those institutions have the legitimacy to defend the country and its borders, and are accountable to the Lebanese people, he stated.

He reiterated that Washington and the international community “are absolutely committed to helping Lebanon achieve these goals, by contributing to the army’s means to defend Lebanon.”

The U.S. independence was celebrated early this year out of respect for the holy month of Ramadan, which will coincide with the fourth of July.