Qahwaji Vows Not to Stand Idle to Attacks on Army
Army chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji issued a stern warning against critics on Thursday, saying the military institution would no longer stand idle to attacks against it.
In a speech during a ceremony in honor of retired officers, Qahwaji said the army will not allow any political party to extort it and “from now on will not remain silent to verbal or actual attacks against it.”
His remark came against the backdrop of a campaign of accusations against the army over its deployment in the northern district of Akkar and other border regions.
The Justice Ministry has sent a request to Parliament to strip off the parliamentary immunity of Akkar MP Moeen al-Merehbi after the Defense Ministry filed a complaint against the lawmaker earlier this month.
Al-Merehbi criticized Qahwaji as an “unsuccessful person,” accusing him of being “responsible for all the mistakes and seditions.”
But Qahwaji told the retired officers that the army is seeking to control the border crossings to prevent them from becoming a passageway for strife in Lebanon and elsewhere.
He also expressed regret that the army’s “wisdom in dealing with the security incidents” from kidnappings, to road closures and all the way to the clashes in the northern city of Tripoli was seen by some parties as a “weakness.”
The army will hold onto its policy in assuming responsibility for the lives of the Lebanese people, he said.
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://cdn.naharnet.com/stories/en/51775 |