Aoun praises army for protecting all Lebanese 'even those against the state'
President Joseph Aoun praised the army on Monday for defending all Lebanese, including those standing against it. "You defend all our people, even the very few who stand against our homeland and our state," he told army personnel.
"Your weapons are the only legitimate weapons — not by force, nor under anyone's guardianship, but by the trust of all the Lebanese in you and you alone," Aoun added, emphasizing that the people's trust "is the most important and powerful weapon."
He went on to say, "No army whose people stood with it was ever defeated, and no army whose people stood against it ever succeeded."
President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam have vowed to disarm Hezbollah and confine all weapons strictly to the state.
In June, the Lebanese and Israeli governments signed a U.S.-mediated framework agreement under which Israel would withdraw gradually from southern Lebanon and the Lebanese army would assume control, while Hezbollah would be disarmed.
Hezbollah refuses to disarm and opposes both the framework agreement and direct negotiations with Israel.
Source: Naharnet
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://cdn.naharnet.com/stories/en/322729 |