Qahwaji Says Controlling Border with Syria Requires 2,000 Troops
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربيةArmy Commander General Jean Qahwaji stressed on Wednesday that the army deployment along the Lebanese-Syrian border requires some time, noting that the military needs a brigade of 2,000 soldiers to control the border.
He said in comments published in As Safir newspaper that the aim behind this plan is to control illegal crossings used by gunmen; however he noted that it is very difficult to control the entire border line.
“Assuming that there’s a possibility to control every meter of Lebanon’s eastern and northern border with Syria isn’t logical, it has nothing to do with the army’s efficiency and capabilities,” Qahwaji pointed out.
The army commander warned those who opened fire at the army along the border with Syria, saying the military will not hesitate to fire back with all the adequate artillery.
The cabinet decided on Monday to dispatch army reinforcements to the border area in the north, after a series of frontier incidents in recent months, some of them deadly.
Syrian troops and armed men exchanged gunfire overnight Monday in the border area and shells fell inside Lebanon, killing three civilians and wounding one.
The latest incident took place two days after clashes and blasts killed two people in the area.
Asked about the killing of Sheikh Ahmed Abdul Wahed and his companion Sheikh Mohammed Merheb at an army checkpoint in the Akkar town of al-Kweikhat on May 22, Qahwaji said: “We are keen to preserve the blood of innocent people in the first degree.”
He slammed those who launched a campaign on him saying that the blood of Abdul Wahad is more precious that his.
“I will only tell those who are agitated that everything happens at the right time,” Qahwaji said.
He denied that the army had evacuated its posts in Akkar after the incident.
“The army will not abandon Akkar… We are about to reinforce our presence in the area in order to stabilize it,” he stated.
Qahwaji told the daily that the army will continue to assume its responsibilities towards its people.
Several residents in the area of Akkar demanded the army to withdraw from its posts in Akkar after the death of Sheikh Abdul Wahed and his companion.
Useless Army with a Useless leader,the army will be observing and can't take any action even incase of violations
FT no disrespect for the "idea of a national army", but ours isnt to be completely fair and realistic. what is it the army does exactly in lebanon?
I mean last time we had a strong army FT, its leader ran away in his pyjamas to a foreign embassy ;)
so we agree in principal on the cause behind why the army is what it is now but disagree on how to go forward from here to deal with it.
the army you are talking about may be the army we had but not the one we currently have. i see no reason to support it.
it is 100% the fault of the lebanese political divides that pushed it here, but we cant support what is supposed to be the pride and protector of the country but has become a career path for aspiring lebanese presidents.
However, the same applies to every institution in lebanon.
now i ask, what do you think is a solution to make lebanon a country again? (serious question because i cant come up with anything other than let it blow and rebuild)
BSThrower you are constantly contradicting yourself and here is another fine example. You don't value our army....in your eye's the army serves HA and they are your savior. You know this fact and no matter what you want to say or justify with all that hot air you hold....the army cannot (will not) do it's proper job of protecting the country as long as HA is in the picture - period! If you care and love your country you would voice and support ONE Lebanese force and none other. But you still believe (more like delusional) the resistance is here to save your sorry rear from Israel! Wake up dude....Israel is NOT the threat BUT IRAN/SYRIA are!
"The army commander warned those who opened fire at the army along the border with Syria, saying the military will not hesitate to fire back with all the adequate artillery."
I'm not going to be negative about this. but let's wait and see. I really hope qahwaji has the balls to do that
who wants to bet?
I bet you the army will open fire internally only on us lebanese.
they are going there to secure the border for the syrians.
Assad kills Lebanese and nothing is done, the Lebanese army new name is Bashar army or hozbstan army
Qahwaji is the product of a compromise with the Syrian and iranian allies in Lebanon otherwise he would not have been accepted at the army's helm.
Not all but most army officers are accustomed to saying at your orders master," bi2amrak seedy", to the powerful in order to get promoted.
This is how we ended up with an army that could watch actionless the thugs connected to hezbollah and to the Syrian allies commiting their crimes while jumping on the throat of those opposing them.
What most people fail to realize is that the army will not be deployed to the north to confront Syrian violations but to harass those who support the Syrian revolution.
So it's ok for you and your masters to support the Damascus butcher and the Iranians but no one should dare to support the people of Syria, here you go folks March 8's democracy.
Why don't you let those who want to defend syrian revolutionaries go to Syria!? and while we're at it, those who want to reclaim Palestine go to Palestine?
When is anyone on this forum going to start thinking about us, first and foremost? Akkar citizens, just like those in Naqoura deserve an army that protects them. Having a porous border doesn't help..
Gen. Kahwaji is a fine officer/commander.We All need to support the Lebanese army Regardless...they certainly need more Recruits, heavy tanks , APC and other vital equipments including decent Uniforms/Camouflages gear.How can an army operates with 100 M48 Tanks and other T54 AND T55 that can hardly run.The lebanese army will look more Professional if they Wear black/green Undershirt that include the Handsome commander Gen.Qahwaji.Let us stop attacking and criticiszing the Lebanese Army and simply work on finding ways and means to boast its numbers, training and and securing badly needed new hardware(Thaks, APC's etc...)
God Bless the Lebanese Army...
flame thrower: Iam not undermining the army i am just saying a fact that deep in side of u, u know its a reality, further more we all know how nahr l bared fight ended by under table agreement that lead to the escape of Jond sham leader all of a sudden
Felow Lebanese , if i may jump in , please take a look at us even syria fired up a revolution in order to become civilised but we the most educated in the arab world dont have the balls to fight for our decency and rights ?! i believe in order to have a decent country and a decent government , we the new generation need to fire up a revolution together united to burn the country down then rebuild it all over again ... or else keep saying the same old shit and arguing on the same Track ...
FT, how about this army does what it is supposed to do for a change: be a patriotic army and defend the country?
the thing is, they are supposed to defend our territorial integrity, not the syrian territaorial integrity.
although I placed a bet before, I do hope this army will act in a patriotic way, otherwise,....
see, the list of traitors is building up, and the reason is the syrian regime is going down, thus all its agents are trying to help it.
I thank them for coming out so fast, so we know who needs to be judged later for treason.
I totaly agree with u coz that what I meant as for the army troops big respect for sure but they will do nothen and as u said coz the superiors are bunch of cowards
"Syrian troops and armed men exchanged gunfire overnight Monday in the border area and shells fell inside Lebanon, killing three civilians and wounding one."
Yet nobody does anything about it but if one shell lands in South Lebanon by Israel, Hizbollah would have gone to war already, unilateraly I may add.
Flame Thrower, your irrational hatred to the US has clouded your judgement on a lot of issues. To continue to blame the US for our Lebanese misery would be like putting your head in the sand. You know why the US was against giving sophisticated weapons to the army. You want the US to play an active and positive role in Lebanon? STOP SUPPORTING HIZBULLAH! IT IS THAT SIMPLE!