Senior U.S. General Says Army Must be 'Sole Defender of Lebanon'

Deputy Commander of United States Central Command Lieutenant General Charles Brown has stressed that the army should be “the sole defender of Lebanon" during a visit to Lebanon this week, the U.S. Embassy said.

During his visit, Brown met with President Michel Aoun, Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Defense Minister Yaacoub al-Sarraf and Army Commander General Joseph Aoun to "reaffirm the U.S. government’s commitment to the Lebanese-American partnership and support the Lebanese Armed Forces in their capacity as the sole defender of Lebanon," the Embassy said in a statement.

Brown also met with the UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major-General Michael Beary at UNIFIL Headquarter in Naqoura.

He received "an update on the implementation of UNIFIL’s vital mission that has helped de-escalate tensions in southern Lebanon," the Embassy said.