Defense Minister Throws Support behind Army
Defense Minister Yaacoub al-Sarraf emphasized on Monday that campaigns against the Lebanese army will not discourage the apparatus from carrying out its duties and cracking down on terrorists and militants.
The latest “campaigns targeting the army,” after its crackdown on militants in refugees encampments of Syrians “will not discourage it from carrying out its duty against terrorism,” said the Minister in remarks to al-Joumhouria daily.
He said “it is not the first time the army is subject to campaigns of questioning, nor will they be the last. But those who believe that will reduce support for the army are mistaken,” he added.
“The army will continue to carry out its duties not only against terrorism, despite everything that has been said and the campaigns against it.”
Sarraf's comments came before a meeting scheduled on Monday at the Grand Serail between Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Army Commander General Joseph Aoun.
The daily said that Hariri had invited the Army Commander for a meeting to “discuss the army's measures to preserve the country's security and stability, and its efforts in cracking down on terror organizations and militants.”
Sarraf also stressed that “investigations in the death case of of four Syrian detainees are ongoing.”
In most countries of the world, army and military is the top priority. In Lebanon, soldiers are often sent home because there's no funds to feed them. LOL.
There was a proposal a few years back to set a donations fund so everyone could donate to the army as they do to NGOs like red cross, whatever happened to that?