Top Officials Defend Army as 'Shield' of Lebanon's Sovereignty after Sidon Attacks
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Lebanese leaders condemned on Monday the attacks on the army in the southern city of Sidon, defending the military as the shield of security and sovereignty and calling for unity with it.
President Michel Suleiman condemned the attacks as “terrorist crimes,” saying they came “at a time the Lebanese are looking to the army in all regions as the guarantor of security, stability and civil peace.”
A presidential statement said Suleiman was in contact with officials “to take all measures to fight terrorism.”
He also urged the Lebanese to be united.
An army communique said three suspects were passing on foot through a checkpoint at al-Awwali bridge at Sidon's entrance at 9:00 pm Sunday when a soldier asked for their identification papers.
One of the suspects threatened him with a grenade, which blew up when the soldier opened fire on him, it said.
The suspect was killed and two soldiers at the checkpoint were injured. The other two suspects escaped.
Forty five minutes later, a Palestinian blew himself up near an army checkpoint in the Majdelyoun area, killing himself and a sergeant, and wounding a soldier.
Two other Lebanese suspects, who were in the Envoy four-wheeler carrying them, also died when members of the checkpoint opened fire on them.
“We condemn these two terrorist attacks … that targeted the military institution, which defends Lebanon and the Lebanese, and constitutes the shield of sovereignty and independence,” Caretaker Premier Najib Miqati said in a statement.
He appealed for support to the army and the rest of the security forces, saying “no one should be allowed to tamper with security and target the role of the military institution.”
Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam also issued a condemnation statement, calling for a “swift” probe to find the collaborators of the dead suspects and punish them.
“The army was and will always be the defensive structure of Lebanon and the Lebanese, and the guarantor of their security and stability,” he said in a statement.
“Any attack on its members under any circumstance is a bald assault on the Lebanese people and the entire nation,” he said.
Salam urged the Lebanese, in general, and Sidon residents, in particular, to “support the army and facilitate its mission” to stop those plotting to harm the institution and cause a gap between it and the people.
Al-Mustaqbal movement leader Saad Hariri said the attacks were at the top of the list of “chaos.”
The former premier called for unity with the army, saying it was “the duty of every citizen who believes in the state and the role of the military institution to be in solidarity with it.”
“Sidon will not allow under any circumstance to be dragged again to a confrontation with the Lebanese army,” he said.
He was referring to bloody clashes between supporters of Salafist cleric Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir and the military in the coastal city last June.
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea also condemned the “blatant” attack against troops, considering that Sunday's events reassert that weapons must be exclusively in the hands of the state.
"The state must be the only party allowed to use arms on Lebanese territories,” Geagea said in a released statement.
He added that the state must also "coercively" prevent putting security and social conditions at risk, “to avoid an aggravation of the Lebanese people's misery.”
"The possession and the use of arms trigger people to get armed and soldiers and the Lebanese are paying the price.”
Meanwhile, Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi considered that “attacks against the military institution are attacks against the entire Lebanese entity.”
16 December 2013, 12:51
1715
“The army was and will always be the defensive structure of Lebanon and the Lebanese, and the guarantor of their security and stability,” he said in a statement.
“Any attack on its members under any circumstance is a bald assault on the Lebanese people and the entire nation,” he said.
You see HA its time to support the army and hand over your weapons to it to support it since the reason you are running around with your weapons is the Israeli threat according to the "Taef". How have you deviated from fighting Israel to fighting Syrian children? Maybe get a GPS check your co-ordinates, you are going in the wrong direction!!!
There is no more excuse for your weapons, its the army that is on the border now.
After saying this it will be interesting to hear the M8 BS excuses....
If you have an excuse pls keep it coherent and try to make sense..
16 December 2013, 12:53
2017
Cut the hypocrisy ice-din, your support for takfiris and saudi-sponsored savages who attack the Lebanese Army will not change anything and they will be send to their 72 virgins whether you like it or not.
16 December 2013, 15:39
1411
yes benzo, if you say so. just dont forget to say a prayer for your beloved israeli soldiers.
16 December 2013, 16:56
1211
@benzona..... I am going to go to my nearest HA office and complain about mowaten harassing both of us. Every Monday, he comes back from his village angry as a result of his well known marital and family problems, and he must take it out on someone. I am all stressed out and live in fear because of his constant attacks. Sometimes, I wake up in the middle of the night and I see his avatar staring at me and giving me that evil look. He never leaves me alone..... He has an obsession with my name or with ice or the north pole....dunno!
16 December 2013, 12:54
1613
Thats right FT thumbs me down but down answer my question.
Btw when did you get back from space? Did you send us a postcard?
16 December 2013, 13:09
1616
Hariri takes orders from the patrons of this Lebanese carnage ... Saudi Arabia. Hariri then has the gall to condemn what he implicitly condones.
16 December 2013, 14:35
1212
Sayda or arsal or that other infested city in the north.
"infested".
They should start in Dahyih
16 December 2013, 14:20
1311
Whoever attacks the LAF is attacking the Lebanese nation. Under the current circumstances, no one can be in doubt as to the motives of such attacks, whoever is behind this is clearly part of the pattern to destabilise the country and benefit from the chaos that it could bring. I hope the LAF will bring to justice whoever is behind this latest of crimes, and this time let there be justice, real justice and not only for public consumption.
16 December 2013, 14:41
1411
Yes Cedars2 and Roar, it's me alright, I am back again, and it's good to see you folks again. Stay blessed everyone, Cedre included.
16 December 2013, 14:22
58
The only man between you is 888 the rest of u are women. You should take lessons from her in manhood. Answer the question stooges. U are just avoiding a very direct and clear question because you know the answer.
rofl
16 December 2013, 14:23
110
What kind of Lebanese person attacks an army outpost, and throws a grenade at soldiers? 3 separate incidents all around the same time.. This reeks of conspiracy, and it should tell all us Lebanese M8 and M14 and neutrals alike that we should stop feuding over nonsense and the interests of foreign countries, and save our own.
The only reason that the army isn't truly able to be our shield of sovereignty is because some people on both sides have no interest in that happening. Let me ask you something: do you want to live in a country where you're proud of your nationality and the image of your armed forces? Or would you prefer your sect and a militia? If it's the former then you know what to do. If it's the latter, then let's all just set up sectarian militias and fend for ourselves. It's not like we have bad experiences with that in the past, or anything..
16 December 2013, 14:24
109
if only those hypocrit M8ers support inconditionnaly the great lebanese army instead of praising their mafia gang hezbollah, lebanon would be thriving....
16 December 2013, 20:20
98
One question,,,,, WHO IS FUNDING THESE TERRORISTS?? The $$ is coming from somewhere?
16 December 2013, 22:08
08
To our politicians: For once, show your support to the army with deeds and not words! Make funds for the army and buy some shields for our soldiers.
We know that the taxpayers money is being stolen so stop spitting out useless "support" statements!
17 December 2013, 09:34
11
As the only government that resembles a democracy in the Arab world I'd hate to throw this distinction down the drain and advocate for military rule. It seems that is our only prerogative to dismantling all armed groups, and crowned warlords to bring things into prospective before we lose what we have.
