The President of the Republic, General Joseph Aoun, stressed that maintaining internal security in Lebanon, under these circumstances, is a common duty that requires integrated cooperation and coordination between citizens, the army, security forces, and municipalities.
During his reception of the “Beirut Forum” delegation headed by MP Fouad Makhzoumi, President Aoun stated that the army has repositioned itself in Beirut and other regions, and will strengthen its presence alongside the Internal Security Forces and the rest of the agencies, with a greater emphasis on implementing security with the aim of reassuring the souls of citizens in their homes.
He explained that the current security situation is “controlled” and there is no reason to fear the occurrence of strife or internal security chaos, noting that the problems that occur remain limited and are dealt with quickly, but some are trying to exaggerate the fear of sectarian strife to achieve personal goals.
He stated, “I will not allow strife to occur, and anyone who tries to feed this trend, whether through social media or the media, poses a danger to Lebanon, and is doing worse than the Israeli attacks,” calling for a distinction between the national interest and the interests of abroad, and stressing that “there is no salvation except through the state.”
President Aoun affirmed that “during his reign, he will not allow any citizen who remained steadfast in his village or town to be accused of collusion or treason, simply because he chose to remain in his land.”
Regarding the political aspect, he pointed out that his negotiating initiative received international support as the best way to reach a solution, recalling that Lebanon had previously concluded agreements with Israel, such as the armistice agreement and the maritime border demarcation agreement.
He also revealed that the current contacts mainly aim to obtain assurances that the Masnaa border crossing will not be targeted, given its utmost importance to both Lebanon and Syria.
