Army Sends Strong Message to Terrorists, Defectors
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
The Lebanese army on Thursday vowed to stop terrorists from finding a safe haven in Lebanon and held onto the release of the soldiers and policemen taken captive by jihadists in August.
The army leadership said it is “steady and firm in not allowing terrorism to find a safe haven in Lebanon no matter how much sacrifices it makes.”
“The Lebanese from all sects have announced their full support to the army in confronting this danger and their rejection to provide it (terrorism) with an embracing environment after all the atrocities that terrorists committed,” the military said.
The army leadership held onto the freedom of the soldiers abducted by jihadists from al-Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State group and considered their case a top priority.
The soldiers were taken hostage by fighters from the two terrorist groups when they overran the northeastern border town of Arsal in August. The militants later executed three of them.
The army said it will exert all efforts to secure the release of the hostages and rejected to be subjected to blackmail.
The terrorists have several demands, including the release of Islamist inmates from Lebanon's largest prison in Roumieh.
Army commander Gen. Jean Qahwaji has warned that the militants want to ignite civil war and create a passage to Lebanon's coastline by linking the Syrian Qalamoun mountains with Arsal and the northern district of Akkar.
Adding to the alleged plot of the jihadists, several soldiers have deserted from the army and joined either the IS or the Nusra Front since July.
“The loyalty of a soldier to his institution is a true interpretation of his loyalty to the nation and the people,” said the army statement. “Those who lack such loyalty or were derelict in their duties don't have any place within the ranks” of the military.
It urged troops not to heed the rumors spread by terrorists through social networking sites aimed at negatively affecting their morale.
The military “institution is stronger than ever … and all the Lebanese are hinging on its role in salvaging the nation and preserving its sovereignty and stability,” it said.
The army reiterated that it isolated terrorists hiding on the porous Lebanese-Syrian border and expressed readiness to confront any attempt to infiltrate Lebanese towns and villages.
It also hailed the achievements made by troops in arresting several terrorist networks and seizing their arms and ammunition.
G.K.
M.T.

Go Army Go.. We, the Lebanese people are 100% behind uu.. We, all Lebanese will defeat z terrorists and bring them to justice.
"U can Run, but U can not hide"

God bless the Lebanese Army. This is a strong message to the FSA-Al Qaeda-ISIS jihadist terrorists and their February 14 Saudi-Wahabi sympathizers.

what about politicians or sectarian groups that have defected to the syrian cause or the iranian cause ... isnt that seen as a betrayal of the state of Lebanon? these seemingly only support the army right now out of convenience and alignment.

what groups have "defected" to the syrian or iranian cause? having allies among friendly nation does not make you a defector. and if you open this door, tell us more about what you think of those who "defected" to the saudi cause? the US cause? the israeli cause?

You beat me to it mowaten. I was thinking the same thing, exactly the same! We are so so similar: we are both narcissists, both shia extremists who pretend to be moderates, both have an inferiority complex, both pretend to be secular, and both have multiple accounts. I just hope readers don't think we are the same poster.

The ones that carry extra judicial arms in our country and have wielded them against us on one occasion and continue to threaten the rest of us with them all the time.

yes nobody fought on israel's side, nobody fought on the takfiris side, nobody fought for saudi groups against fellow lebanese... and everything is perfect in your little deluded world.

and lebnanfirst: nobody wielded guns on YOU, guns were wielded against armed militiamen who were shooting on protesters. sorry to burst that little bubble of yours.

You beat me to it mowaten. I was thinking the same thing, exactly the same! We are so so similar: we are both narcissists, both shia extremists who pretend to be moderates, both have an inferiority complex, both pretend to be secular, and both have multiple accounts. I just hope readers don't think we are the same poster.

wow anonyme! i always feel like you're trying to make a joke, and then i realise you're actually serious, it's very confusing!
please get some basic information about may 2008 before you start talking, you can't just invent stuff and throw them here. try looking for an accurate casulaty figure, then look at who the casulties were and where they were killed. and then you tell me, who killed the most people during may 2008.

inexplicably censored comment:
you admit there were armed "security guards", but deny there was a militia... i really wonder how your logic works...
there are figures, only they are much lower than what you said. as for who killed the most people, here's a little example to start with:
http://web.archive.org/web/20080802162738/http://hawkesbury.yourguide.com.au/news/national/national/general/australian-killed-in-lebanon-dfat/768453.aspx

dont get confused by the wording though, in this article they call your "security guards" "pro-government loyalists"

I do not understand the idiot/s that are voting my comments down. I m only mentioning my love to my country...

i guess then only half of Lebanon are real lebanese according to your standards for if one dare criticize hezbollah he is an israeli or al Qaeda according to M8 standards.....

peace...most probably you are not an israli, qaeda supporter...but for sure you are as stupid as them (-:

indeed, the people on this forum do not represent the real opinion of lebanese people.
http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/two-thirds-lebanese-christians-believe-hezbollah-protecting-lebanon-survey

The army and that fact that lebanon went through a disastrous civil war that I hope no one wants to repeat are Lebanon's only hope. But I see some of the younger generation who really don't know what that meant are back to the same routine of forgetting that lebanon can only survive if you all work together. But my words will go on deaf ears and you will continue to bicker.

Please CFTC (Guest) I am politely asking you not to use my alias as many people are getting confused. Choose any other name like Abbas Madras or Jaafar Antar, but why mine?

I think but I am not sure the reason is because you write spam. Again, not sure

because trolls reported it. naharnet only tolerates m14 propaganda, insults and sectarian incitement

when you report our comments, what do you call that? I am convinced you report every single comment!

that is exactly what your comments _mowaten_ contain and yet they are still here?

if i post insults or sectarian incitement and "they are still there" then point them out "ronaldo" instead of making random accusations.

Please CFTC (Guest), my I ask you one last time not to use my guest screen name account anymore! From all the names in the world why do you have to use mine???!