Qahwaji Says Security under Control, Vows to 'Strike with an Iron Fist'

Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji reassured Monday over the security situation in the country and pledged to strike with an iron fist any attempt at stirring chaos.

“I reassure the Lebanese that the army today is stronger than ever and that security on the border and inside the country is under control,” said Qahwaji during the signing of a cooperation agreement between the army and the Lebanese University, which was held at an army research center in Rihanieh.

“The malicious rumors that surface every now and then about instability in Lebanon or the eruption of sectarian strife are baseless,” Qahwaji noted.

“We are firm in our decision to prevent the spread of the regional blaze to Lebanon and we will strike with an iron fist any attempt aimed at reviving the schemes of chaos, discord and partitioning,” the army chief underlined.

He also promised that the army will “maintain its readiness on all fronts -- the anti-terror fight on the border, fending off Israel and its plots, and preserving domestic security and stability.”

Sectarian tensions have recently surged in the country against the backdrop of a Saudi-Iranian flareup in the region. The Lebanese allies of both Riyadh and Tehran have however reassured that they will not resort to violence to settle their differences.

Y.R.

M.T.