Hollande Urges Backing for Lebanese Army as Bassil Calls for Eliminating ISIL at Paris Conference
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
French President Francois Hollande highlighted on Monday the need to preserve Lebanon's unity and sovereignty, while emphasizing the role of the army in protecting the country.
He stressed the importance of supporting the Lebanese army and properly equipping it.
He made his remarks at an international meeting held in Paris aimed at supporting Iraq in its fight against Islamic State militants.
Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil, who was also present at the meeting, called for eliminating the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, reported OTV.
“It must be destroyed militarily and ideologically,” he said.
The foreign minister had held talks in Paris with his American counterpart John Kerry on the latest developments in the region, the war against terrorism, and the role Lebanon can play in that battle.
“No one has the right to step down from their duty to combat ISIL,” added Bassil.
“We aim to put an end to the inhumanity of these terrorist groups,” he continued.
He explained that the sources of their funding should be depleted completely and their political and ideological backers uncovered.
“A greater initiative, supported by the United Nations, should be made and it must have political, legal, military, and humanitarian aspects,” remarked Bassil.
Moreover, he stressed the need for “immediate backing of the Lebanese armed forces,” deeming it “a mandatory condition to avoid Lebanon being dragged into a situation similar to the one in Iraq.”
“Lebanon is at an advanced stage in the battle against sectarianism and terrorism,” he said.
“Its soldiers have long represented professionalism and nationalism,” stated the minister.
Bassil also held talks on the margins of the Paris meeting with a number of his counterparts, including Russian FM Sergei Lavrov and Italian FM Federica Mogherini, who was recently appointed as European Union foreign affairs chief.
Led by the United States, the West announced last week the formation of an international coalition, which includes Lebanon, aimed at combating the Islamic State jihadist group in Iraq and Syria.
The world's top diplomats pledged Monday to support Iraq in its fight against Islamic State militants by "any means necessary", including "appropriate military assistance", as leaders stressed the urgency of the crisis.
Representatives from around 30 countries and international organizations, including the United States, Russia and China, gathered in Paris as the brutal beheading over the weekend of a third Western hostage focused participants' minds.
The international community is scrambling to contain the IS jihadists -- who have rampaged across Iraq and Syria and could number as many as 31,500 fighters, according to the CIA.
Saudi Arabia announced in August that it would dedicate one billion dollars to the Lebanese army to help it combat terrorism.
The development came in light of the army's battles with Islamist militants in the northeastern border town of Arsal in August.
Last December, Saudi Arabia agreed to finance a $3 billion deal to purchase military equipment and weapons from France for the Lebanese army, which has long complained of being sorely under-equipped.
M.T.
Y.R.
15 September 2014, 16:53
134
very nice all these conferences and these declarations.
I want to see barrels of bombs falling on these ISIS criminals so we finish from them once and for all, and be able to focus on our number one problem who is Assad.
15 September 2014, 22:40
34
Thank God it is Bassil and not Adnane mansour who is representing us. I think he is doing a good job.
16 September 2014, 01:46
11
Mansour would have insisted that the Syrian regime be included in the Coalition to fight ISIS for Lebanon to join the fight. So I agree with you lf.
15 September 2014, 18:21
00
the sources of their funding should be depleted completely and their political and ideological backers uncovered
this is the best solution
just a hint for france and the west
there is a nato member where all these terrorists transit and this member of nato is called turkey
and the funders also they are allies with usa and france and they are ksa and Qatar and Kuwait and uae
so .... act
15 September 2014, 18:24
00
and Beirut airport is closer than Irbil airport mr hollande so the arms to Lebanon should reach us before the kurds and free the same as kurds
nest ce pas mr hollande
15 September 2014, 19:25
73
Obama and his administration are pansies. When Assad gassed his own people, Obama had the green light for airstrikes but backed down. Now it's ISIS beheading American journalists and crucifying people in town squares and he's still dancing around trying to form a stupid coalition.
This is how the conversations are going:
US: we need to attack ISIS
UK: we second that statement, but we'll arm the Kurds
Australia: all right we'll provide 600 military personnel but we're keeping them in Dubai
Russia/Iran/Assad: Guys come on include us
Bassil: it must be destroyed militarily and ideologically...oh by the way can you give the Lebanese Army some weapons???
Politics at its finest.
15 September 2014, 19:46
52
It's hilarious how out of my whole comment you chose to argue one small part. But let's do it Flamer. First of all you're referring to the Ghouta attack. Chemical weapons have been used repeatedly in the war. Assad even dropped them from barrel bombs. What you're arguing is "Assad didn't do the Ghouta attack so he didn't do any." And that's nonsense Flamer. Why do you think Russia forced him to remove his chemical weapons? Just so he can look good by cooperating? Truth is Assad was the one with stockpiles of chemical weapons, to say that only rebels used them is a load of cack.
15 September 2014, 19:48
52
So now you're gonna say "but nickjames the Ghouta attack is what gave Obama the green light, and it wasn't even Assad." That may be a true statement, but he should have had the green light from the first chemical attacks.
15 September 2014, 19:53
52
Roar, seriously? I never said that no one will meet Bassil, stop changing my words. I said twice that as foreign minister he is obligated to meet his counterparts, that's his diplomatic duty. He is supposed to be Lebanon's top diplomat, of course he's meeting people. The argument all started when you said Bassil is our future president and that we need to respect him. When I asked you why you got into this whole ethos pitch how leaders "are more than happy to meet him." So I asked who likes meeting him, give me names. And you couldn't give a straight answer.
15 September 2014, 20:04
52
"Bassil is met by all sides & you need to accept reality & forget your personal love/hate posting."
So when you say we need to respect Bassil because he's our future president...Do you not call that love posting? Roar, you're the one who started the love posting. I asked you if you were smoking meth because it's outlandish to say that Bassil is our future president. If I said show respect to George Adwan he's our future president, you'd think I'm crazy al well. Point is you made such a stupid statement and went so far into defending it.
15 September 2014, 20:44
42
Here's the barrel bombs with chemical weapons. http://www.hrw.org/news/2014/05/13/syria-strong-evidence-government-used-chemicals-weapon
Flamer, I never said anything about the GCC committing troops to the anti-IS coalition. I'm not sure if they will, given the reasons you pointed out. I'm critical of Obama and his efforts to create a collation. It's a waste of time.
15 September 2014, 21:15
41
Lol participate in a ground offensive. That will never happen. And of course Flamer jumps on that idea and suggests that we believe such a thing would happen. It was funny when mffsc called him flame retard thrower. I thought about it and wondered how do you throw retards, before coming to the conclusion that only Flamer could do such a thing. Throwing retards, throwing retarded ideas, all the same thing. Just a retard thrower.
15 September 2014, 21:17
41
Retard thrower, that evidence is credible. Look at the pictures of the ruptured gas cylinders. But of course they're doctored so you won't lookit.
15 September 2014, 22:10
41
"so this leads us to the conclusion that obama is not an idiot and that the airstrikes are not for ISIS but are aimed at the force that is fighting ISIS: assad's force."
Obama had many other chances and reasons to bomb Assad, and he didn't. He wouldn't use ISIS as a cover to bomb Assad. Obama is arrogant who just doesn't want to bomb anyone. He goes on national television talking how ISIS is a cancer and he's gonna go after them, yet nothing has happened. Just talking about creating an IS-coaltion isn't going anywhere. The GCC nations aren't gonna contribute anything. The only countries who'd be in this coalition would be the US, UK, Australia and maybe Canada lol
16 September 2014, 01:17
00
To the Coalition,
Since a month I read about meetings and planning. I believe it is going on and on without action.
On the other side IS is acting.
Beside according to duties distribution I don't see ground troops, therefore I don't see any win ( just the opposite).
It is an ideological war and as such, the Muslim countries should act act effectively. If not the limited intervention of the west will be like pouring "petrol on fire".
In the following saying the comparison is in the meaning not in the character ( the dog that barks a lot does not bite)
الكلب يللي بيهبهب كتير ما بيعض
16 September 2014, 05:31
21
Lol he accused me and Texas of being the same person today. In his mind, all people with Aounophobia are considered the same person.
16 September 2014, 10:33
00
My comments are moderate, realistic and not offensive. I wonder why they are not displayed. Is it a must to please whoever from naharnet overseeing the comments?
A private answer is welcome .
