Hariri Travels to Paris after Visiting Yarze in Show of Support to Army
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Al-Mustaqbal Movement leader MP Saad Hariri said on Monday that Arab states would continue to back Lebanon despite a halt to billions of dollars of Saudi assistance to the army and security forces.
Following a meeting with Army chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji and Defense Minister Samir Moqbel in Yarze, Hariri said: “We are confident that our Arab brethren will not let go of us. The Saudi grant has been frozen but we are exerting an effort to stress that we back the military.”
Saudi Arabia has cut $4 billion in aid to the army and security forces and has urged its citizens to leave Lebanon to put pressure on Hizbullah.
Earlier this month, the Saudi-led bloc of six Gulf Arab nations considered Hizbullah a terrorist organization.
Hariri said his visit to the defense ministry in Yarze was aimed at showing solidarity with the army and extending his condolences on the death of a soldier in the northeastern border town of Arsal last week.
Mohammed Hussam al-Sayyed al-Sabsabi was killed on Thursday when the army launched a preemptive strike against jihadists from the Islamic State group on the outskirts of Ras Baalbek in the East.
“We have a powerful army and strong security forces that protect us and protect Lebanon against all dangers,” said the former prime minister.
Hariri reiterated that the IS “does not represent Islam.”
In the evening, the former premier traveled to Paris for a "private visit," his office said.
Media reports said Hariri will spend several days in the French capital.
The threat of the IS and al-Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front rose in August 2014 when the jihadists overran Arsal and engaged in heavy gunbattles with the army.
The militants also took with them 30 hostages from the army and police.
After long negotiations, 16 of the kidnapped men were released at the start of December in exchange for Islamist prisoners jailed in Lebanon.
G.K.
M.T.
14 March 2016, 14:46
23
tric Portugal
Please spare us with your stupid comments. you are a delusional person. General Aoun the supreme commander? elected by acclamation with 90% of Christians?
Please shut up
15 March 2016, 00:44
12
Tric Trac
Go and play somewhere else...in Lisbon Da7yeh for instance,....and leave the CristHIANS alone.
14 March 2016, 14:53
46
those some Arab regimes that Hariri is referring to which include GCC rulers and the ones who depend on their financial assistance are worthless and Lebanon does not need their assistance, therefore the country and its people must rely on themselves and stop begging others... wake up Hariri and stop praising a state which sponsors terrorism, like the terrorist state of Bani Saud.
14 March 2016, 15:18
45
Iran sponsors inventions and self sufficiency while Assad defends his country from Saudi terrorism... get it 'airan'.
14 March 2016, 16:27
24
Hariri is trying to make up for the Saudi boycott on the LAF, by trying to appear supportive of it.
Good show.
14 March 2016, 17:20
33
It was not Sayed Hassan that stopped the Saudi deals to the LAF, they quit it themselves in order to try and hurt the Resistance reputation.
Well it didn't go out as you planned, even Rifi thought he would get more backup when he resigned, and he ended up being the only one running off.
14 March 2016, 14:59
44
1anonymtexas
Right on! no reason whatsoever for some Lebanese not paying their electric bill and other
14 March 2016, 15:51
21
Say what you want about Hariri, but man does he take a good selfie. You can barely tell..
15 March 2016, 00:47
23
Caporal has been begging the Saudis and kissing their hands to get their support, but after he did not receive their OK he re-started insulting them...
15 March 2016, 10:54
20
Humble, he did the same with the Syrians at the end of the 80's, he did the same with the US, in the 90's, it's the story of Michel Aoun's life!
He tries to kiss, they realize he's nuts, they drop him, he insults them... over & over & over...story of a failure.
