Lebanese Army Says Report Claiming 2 Recruits Joined FSA 'Exaggerated'
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Two Lebanese army recruits have escaped the military service and joined the ranks of the rebel Free Syrian Army to fight President Bashar Assad’s regime, As Safir newspaper reported on Wednesday.
An informed source told the daily that the military service of the two recruits, who hail from the Wadi Khaled border region of Akkar, was extended but after they were granted their leave of absence “they left and never came back.”
The army inquired the families of the two recruits about their whereabouts and after a few days the officer whom they worked with received a text message from the cell phone of one of them, saying: “We salute you from the Syrian town of Qusayr… My colleague and I have joined the Free Syrian Army in its fight against the Syrian regime.”
According to the source, the two men fled on April 1 and the Syrian authorities were informed about the incident immediately in order to take the necessary measures to detain them and hand them over to the competent Lebanese authorities.
Later on Wednesday, the Army Command’s Orientation Directorate issued a statement clarifying that the two “irregular” recruits were “permanent residents of Syria.”
“They have been absent from their barracks for a while now and their fate has not been determined to date,” the statement said.
The Army Command called on media outlets “not to exaggerate when publishing any information related to the military institution,” stressing that “such individual and limited cases, which happen every now and then, are being addressed in a strict manner.”
“Perpetrators are being instantly held accountable according to military regulations and applicable laws,” it added.
Al-Akhbar newspaper also reported on Tuesday that the army has exposed soldiers who breached its security by stealing arms from its warehouses and selling them to weapons dealers who in their turn smuggled the equipment to the Free Syrian Army.
The report said that over 90 machine guns were missing from the eighth battalion and a large quantity of ammunition. However, sources told As Safir that the missing machine guns don’t exceed 20.
But the Army Command noted that the disappearance of the weapons and military equipment happened “long time ago.”
“Military police investigated the incident back then, reaching decisive results concerning the location and the individuals in question,” the Army Command added, noting that “probe results were submitted to the relevant military judicial authorities, while the severest disciplinary measures were taken against the culprits.”
In March, the army also discovered an al-Qaida- takfiri network headed by Abu Mohammed Toufic Taha, which planned attacks on its bases.
Taha is reportedly based in Ain el-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp.
11 April 2012, 10:42
57
Good for them, what good is this army and its weapons anyway? only good against the 3rd class citizens of lebanon i.e the not hizbustanis. At least the weapons stolen this time would be used in good cause.
11 April 2012, 10:47
84
Not our problem, let the Syrians deal with it. Let's hope not many of my countrymen make that decision, we have lost enough blood through wars, let's sit this one out.
11 April 2012, 15:45
43
We're involved... Whether you like it or not is your problem. The Syrian government of Lebanon sided a long time ago with Bashar. Sme of us have a conscious, and a few are courageous enough to go fight the murderers in Syria. Once the Baathist regime collapses, Lebanon will witness a rebirth of its own citizens. The world will be a better place.
11 April 2012, 13:32
46
why they flee the lebanese army?why they joined the free syrian army?as long as the butcher in damascus stays...the danger is increasing for the whole region.
closing our eyes is not an option.
11 April 2012, 14:26
93
poor boys, they are about 18 years old sunnis and there Da3ya convinced them it's Jihad to fight along with their Salafi brothers in Syria. they are headed for certain death just so that their da3ya gets more points with KSA. god have mercy on them
11 April 2012, 15:01
46
kesrweneh... ahhh so you were there? and your sure they are salafis and heard that was the promise made to them?... Bashar is EVIL man... We are Muslims! and IRAN, ISREAL, USA, RUSSIA... etc are in full agreement behind the scenes on how they can prolong our suffering to break our will... i.e and KOFI Anan goes to Iran and asks for help ... Kofi Anan says it would be Disastrous to arm the FSA ... Before the yesterday (10th) I swear I expected it WOW... only Evil helps Evil... 30 years the Baath Butchers helped Israel, 30 years not a single shot was fired in the Golan............ Iran and the Americans (including KSA) play the Palestinians like a game all to well, in reality they are liars and hypocrites and we Muslims have ZERO leadership anywhere ... Inshallah one day...
11 April 2012, 20:01
52
lebcan I am Lebanese and I love my religion as long as it doesn't heart my country thus when I see 2 Lebanese soldiers deserting the army to fight along the Syrian salafis it makes me sad. My frustration would be the same if they 2 Christian soldiers deserted to fight with Christian salafis aka LF (remember whebeh aticha?)
11 April 2012, 15:12
43
If this story is accurate which I doubt due to the usual inaccuracies of the AsSafir informed sources this is desertion pure and simple just like Michel Aoun's in 1990 and they should be court marshaled.
11 April 2012, 21:05
21
Everyone should read what Salim Kallas and Rene Ala wrote about that day my fellow Shiite brother in revisionist history.
BTW it took the magnificent GMA AKA the deserter and coward longer to complete his I will die fighting speech a few hour earlier than it did to capitulate.
The magnificent GMA AKA the deserter and coward called the French ambassador 45 minutes after the attack stated to inform him of his wants a cease fire.
Ala got back to him minutes later to inform him that the fighting will not stop until the magnificent GMA AKA the deserter and coward made a public statement to the fact. But instead of doing it right away and save lives and as magnificent GMA was a coward he first ran away, that's when he became a deserter as well, to the French embassy were he was safe and made the public statement from there. That took a few hours, causing the deaths and executions of hundreds of the true heroes.
12 April 2012, 07:02
21
You are full of crap Flamer, your little general deserted the army and left his men to die. Don't try to suger coat it, the soldiers die fighting his war and if that was not bad enough he jumps into bed with Assad when he comes back to Lebanon... Aoun is a 2 time Losser!
11 April 2012, 15:50
39
Many Lebanese are in Lebanon against there will. Our passport doesnt allow us to travel to the civilized world. It wasn't always like this, it began when Hezbollah bombed the American and French in the early 80s. Thanks to them...
11 April 2012, 21:56
34
Why am I not surprised by your apology of terrorism. ? You can label terror with other names.... WE KNOW THE TRUTH!
11 April 2012, 16:08
54
When they are killed, they should be buried in Syria, not Lebanon.
11 April 2012, 17:51
35
The only thing better would be if some Hezz members saw the light of truth and left the Hezz to fight for the FSA. Either way I salute their courage.
11 April 2012, 17:54
43
They were told, the pay is better with the FSA. It is an opportunity to strike it rich, and buy their dream home.
11 April 2012, 18:17
34
anonymetexasusa, you are a true fanatic and full of hate, a typical M8 supporter, ignorant and full of it. What do you think about hizballah, Amal etc... thy are armed to the teeth and declare their blind support and loyalty to Iran NOT LEBANON but I am sure using the isareli excuse, that's ok with u? hypocrits...
11 April 2012, 20:06
10
Why are the last two sentences of the article there? these two soldiers joining the Free Syrian Army has NOTHING to do with the takfiri network which targeted soldiers like themselves. Is the author trying to imply that they are extremists too?
11 April 2012, 21:05
11
The magnificent GMA AKA the deserter and coward's stupidity, incompetence, collusion call it what you will cause the red lines that had protected the Christian area to be lifted by the US and international community who now had Iraq's invasion of Kuwait as a priority and needed Syria. To further complete the damage the magnificent GMA AKA the deserter and coward ran away as soon as the attack started opening the doors wide to the invasion, he could've done it a day earlier I wonder why he didn't. Also my fellow Shiite brother in Ashura murdered brain cells, the LF never surrendered to the Syrians but to the Lebanese army the Syrians never entered the LF controlled areas.
11 April 2012, 21:29
21
Traitors?you mean like Michel aoun when he did the Speedy gonzales to the French embassy?
Double standard? Hypocrite.
11 April 2012, 21:35
21
flame stop twisting the truth.
Michel aoun declared that he is the captain of the ship .Right or wrong?
Michel aoun said he will be the last to leave.Right?
Michel aoun said he will be buried here (he meant at his command location).right?
HE DESERTED HIS TROOPS AND MADE THE SPEEDY GONZALES.
Facts no fiction.
Of course you will never admit it
11 April 2012, 21:38
11
BTW you M8 Cunt,u call the marines and french troops THE ENEMY.
But with all the terror the Syrians brought on us for more than 30 years you still call them your masters.
11 April 2012, 21:42
32
M8 simpletons...it's really very simple ...this government is allienating a major section of the population. The Sunnis and the majority of Christians...Doubke standards and hypocracies...Hizballa openly serves Iran and no M8 dares mentioning them as traitors...what a sad sad sad bunch M8 are...
11 April 2012, 22:01
33
when hezbi members go and help bashar do his dirty deeds by killing torturing innocent people i guess M8 calls that divine resistance and not treason...
double M8 standards as usual....
11 April 2012, 23:03
32
anonymetexasusa, of course I agree with you on that but I also like to mention that most Sunnis are moderates and no Salafis, Qaada etc.. as keep being applied by most M8 suppoters.
12 April 2012, 08:03
21
this is great news.....may this war in syria never end and all the grubs go there to DIE!what better way to get rid of thrash from lebanon than just export it to syria keep the fire burning guys we got plenty of rubbish to go your way.
