Aoun: Syria Regime Must Remain Secular, Lebanon Security Won't Deteriorate Further
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربيةFree Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun on Tuesday reassured that the security situation in Lebanon will not deteriorate further in the near future, noting that the regime in strife-torn Syria “must remain secular because there are religious minorities.”
“I don't see partitioning in Lebanon and the security situation will not deteriorate to an extent that exceeds what happened in the past few days,” Aoun said in an interview on his movement’s mouthpiece OTV.
Aoun, however, lamented that the security officials “are not responding promptly enough to the sensitive issues.”
Voicing confidence in the army’s coherence, Aoun said: “Our army is the last to disintegrate and the first to unite, because it has a patriotic spirit and this is what it is implementing on the ground.”
Commenting on the latest deadly clashes in the northern city of Tripoli, Aoun warned that “there are attempts to turn the incidents in the North into sectarian ones.”
“There are major violations happening on Lebanese territory, such as the infiltration of gunmen and arms smuggling, which makes it normal to witness chaos in Akkar,” he added.
Asked about the latest spate of kidnappings that targeted Syrian, Turkish, Kuwaiti and Lebanese citizens, Aoun said: “If we want to criticize the trend of blocking the airport road and kidnappings, we must first take into account the first event: the abduction of the 11 Lebanese (pilgrims) in Syria and the reports about their death in an air raid.”
“How do you want the citizens to react?” Aoun asked.
“I'm not justifying kidnappings, counter-kidnappings or the blocking of roads, but we must first condemn the action before condemning the reaction,” he added.
Lebanon has been grappling with heightened security fears after a recent spate of kidnappings in retaliation for the abduction of Lebanese citizens in Syria.
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE and Bahrain have ordered their nationals to leave the country immediately in the face of threats, particularly against Saudis and Qataris.
Turkey also advised its nationals to avoid non-essential travel to Lebanon after the kidnappings which included two Turkish citizens, while the U.S. has warned its citizens of “an increased possibility of attacks” against them in Lebanon.
The powerful al-Meqdad clan said its “military wing” abducted more than 20 Syrians and a Turkish national in Lebanon in retaliation for the abduction of a clan member, Hassan al-Meqdad, near Damascus.
Dozens of Syrians were also kidnapped and Syrian-owned shops vandalized in Beirut’s southern suburbs after unconfirmed reports that 11 Lebanese pilgrims taken hostage in Syria on May 22 had been killed in an airstrike on the Aleppo town of Aazaz.
“Turkey is not our enemy but rather a brotherly country, the same as Qatar and Saudi Arabia, although they have distanced themselves from us. Instead of talking about Lebanon's stability, let them find solutions to what's happening, because they are the ones who are supporting the Free Syrian Army,” Aoun said.
The rebel Free Syrian Army has been accused of abducting the 11 pilgrims in Aazaz and Hassan al-Meqdad near Damascus.
“The friendly and brotherly countries have disregarded the issue of the abductees,” Aoun decried.
Asked about the recent arrest of former minister Michel Samaha on charges of conspiring with Syrian security chief Maj. Gen. Ali Mamlouk to carry out bombings and assassinations in Akkar, Aoun said “the issue has become an issue of political exploitation and media outlets are also taking advantage of this matter.”
“Lebanon is an arena for the world's intelligence agencies, that's why I won't accuse anyone or acquit anyone and I will leave the issue to the judiciary to perform its duty,” he added.
Addressing the issue of the 2013 parliamentary elections, Aoun said “nothing can torpedo the elections other than a regional war,” but warned that elections cannot be held in Akkar and Tripoli “if the security situation (there) remains the same.”
“I'm willing to ally with the Lebanese Forces and the Phalange Party if they convince al-Mustaqbal Movement of the electoral law proposed by the Orthodox Gathering,” Aoun said of the law under which each sect would elect its own representatives.
Commenting on the issue of national dialogue, Aoun said the priority must be given to “the proliferation of arms and the absence of the state.”
He stressed that “Hizbullah's arms are necessary because they enable us to confront Israel.”
Turning to the developments in Syria, Aoun said “the regime in Syria must remain secular because there are religious minorities.”
“There are Druze, Christians and Alawites, so a theocratic regime cannot work,” he said, voicing fears of an Islamist takeover of the country.
Aoun acknowledged that “what's happening in Syria is an uprising.”
“We have been calling for a change in the regime, but we do not support the cycle of violence which is being fueled by foreign countries,” he added.
“The war is an American-European war that is being waged through the Syrian people. They want to change the regime because they consider it to be an obstacle to peace with Israel and an economic obstacle because it is not allowing the passage of oil from Turkey to Europe,” he noted.
-
28 August 2012, 22:01
Aoun: The priority in national dialogue must be given to the proliferation of arms and the absence of the state. Hizbullah's arms are necessary because they enable us to confront Israel.
-
28 August 2012, 21:54
Aoun: I'm willing to ally with the LF and the Phalange Party if they convince al-Mustaqbal Movement of the electoral law proposed by the Orthodox Gathering.
-
28 August 2012, 21:50
Aoun: Nothing can torpedo the elections other than a regional war, but elections cannot be held in Akkar and Tripoli if the security situation remains the same.
-
28 August 2012, 21:45
Aoun: I don't see partitioning in Lebanon and the security situation will not deteriorate to an extent that exceeds what happened in the past few days.
-
28 August 2012, 21:30
Aoun: No side can wage a war against another side without being supported by foreign powers.
-
28 August 2012, 21:26
Aoun: The regime in Syria must remain secular because there are religious minorities. There are Druze, Christians and Alawites, so a theocratic regime cannot work.
-
28 August 2012, 21:25
Aoun: The war is an American-European war that is being waged through the Syrian people. They want to change the regime because they consider it to be an obstacle to peace with Israel and an economic obstacle because it is not allowing the passage of oil from Turkey to Europe.
-
28 August 2012, 21:16
Aoun: What's happening in Syria is an uprising and we have been calling for a change in the regime, but we do not support the cycle of violence which is being fueled by foreign countries.
-
28 August 2012, 21:15
Aoun: If we want to talk about human rights, no one is suffering more than the Palestinian people.
-
28 August 2012, 21:12
Aoun: Syria is a democratic state where freedom of behavior is guaranteed for everyone and only Article 8 needs to be amended.
-
28 August 2012, 21:06
Aoun: Lebanon is an arena for the world's intelligence agencies, that's why I won't accuse anyone or acquit anyone and I will leave the issue to the judiciary to perform its duty.
-
28 August 2012, 21:05
Aoun on Michel Samaha's case: The issue has become an issue of political exploitation and media outlets are also taking advantage of this matter.
-
28 August 2012, 21:04
Aoun: The friendly and brotherly countries have disregarded the issue of the abductees.
-
28 August 2012, 21:01
Aoun: Turkey is not our enemy but rather a brotherly country, the same as Qatar and Saudi Arabia, although they have distanced themselves from us. Instead of talking about Lebanon's stability, let them find solutions to what's happening, because they are the ones who are supporting the Free Syrian Army.
-
28 August 2012, 20:59
Aoun: I'm not justifying kidnappings, counter-kidnappings or the blocking of roads, but we must first condemn the action before condemning the reaction.
-
28 August 2012, 20:58
Aoun: If we want to criticize the trend of blocking the airport road and kidnappings, we must first take into account the first event: the abduction of the 11 Lebanese in Syria and the reports about their death in an air raid. How do you want the citizens to react?
-
28 August 2012, 20:55
Aoun on the latest kidnappings: The state lost its credibility by not preserving the citizens' security and holding the criminals accountable.
-
28 August 2012, 20:52
Aoun: There are attempts to turn the incidents in the North into sectarian ones.
-
28 August 2012, 20:51
Aoun: Our army is the last to disintegrate and the first to unite, because it has a patriotic spirit and this is what it is implementing on the ground.
-
28 August 2012, 20:46
Aoun: There are major violations happening on Lebanese territory, such as the infiltration of gunmen and arms smuggling, which makes it normal to witness chaos in Akkar.
-
28 August 2012, 20:42
Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun in an interview on OTV: The security officials are not responding promptly enough to the sensitive issues.
"The state lost its credibility by not preserving the citizens' security and holding the criminals accountable"
You've got some nerve! Stop criticizing the government or resign!
Mr Aoun, are you serious sir? Your excuses are worse than admitting guilt (3zro akba7 min zaneb). We cannot control what happens in another country, but we can control what happens in ours. We can control the security of our country and arrest the criminals abducting innocent people. Stop making excuses please for everything and everyone. Had it not been for the plague of populism that affects our culture, you would not have more than 10 followers. I guarantee you sir that if someone came out of the blue and says what you say, all your supporters will disagree with him and call for the state authority. It's sad that we have such leaders in Lebanon.
Can Lebanon have a Muslim president? get over yourself idiot. That is not how one measures democracy...It takes a complete idiot to say that Syria is democratic...It takes even more of an idiot to defend that idiot...
What a great and compelling logic FlameThrower. Acually in comparison to Hitler's Nazis, all regimes are democratic. Syria is not a democratic state. That's a fact. Don't tell yourself otherwise and don't let anyone wash your brain and convince you of the opposite.
@FlameThrower
How can you say Syria is a democratic state? I don't care if the other Gulf countries are oppressive too. Syria has always had one of the worst human rights records where only one party could dominate and freedom of the press is restricted. How can you possibly say Syria is a democratic state? How?
i've a couple of good friends of mine who are "Aounis".and by Aounis..i mean just like u.following a guy rather than a party and its ideology. these friends are very sane but i cannot seem to debate with them on political issues. its a waste of time. they answer questions with questions and if they are cornered they yell and become aggressive...reminds me of Aoun! let me first just say that i admire your homage and loyalty to Aoun. lets say he is just another politician..forget the name...think for a minute and ask yourself what has this politician and his "change and reform" party done for me in the past 2 or 3 years... electricity? water? infrastructure? good business environment? security? these are just the basic necessities... now think 5 years ago; was your life better or worse from now? look around you? listen to people on the streets; in the coffee shops...pubs...WAKE UP! God gave us 2 ears and 1 mouth so that we listen twice as much as we say.
Aoun didn't say Syria is a democratic state. He said there are lots of freedoms in Syria except political freedom.... which is relatively true. Thats doesn't mean it's a democratic state.
UAE has a woman diplomat Hissa Abdulla Ahmed Al—Otaiba , she represents the UAE in both Spain and the vatican
Pls get your facts rights before throwing all gcc countries in one basket
lol FT... hahaha... you and Aoun are clowns....hahahaha... are we talking about the country that elected its president with 97% of the votes?? hahahaha...
This guy is a complete KouKOU...How can he keep a straight face while telling all these lies...
Well, this is not what he exactly said: "هناك حريات مطلقة في سوريا بإستثناء السياسة "
kukoo kukoo ......it is Tuesday again. The country traitor and Christian backstabber is back for another session.
Didn't he say the war in Syria was over 6 months ago? What about the Samaha and Bashar assasination connection ya Aoun. The biggest criminal case in the country since Hariri (and most likely connected) and not a comment? International terror and killings of your "countrymen" and you have nothing to say???? Shuh ya Orange freak!!!
Bass 7aram 3al mo3ta2alin l lebneniyi bel sojoun l souriyi yali 3am yesma3o 3am ye7ki w ydefi3 3an l nizam!!!
fantastic. how is it possible that allouchi and gabbi1, made the same joke on the coucou? hitech and anonym made exactly teh ssame remark, in the form of question (is he high?) people, either you betrayed your own aliases, or you rrepeat someone else comments like parrots..
Just look at this moment...."7" down votes that showed up all at the same time. BSThrower and HA conditioned sheep....what's the point? No one shares your love for the devil. Go to another site that praises wars, hatred, killing and intimidation.
"7" down votes that showed up all at the same time across the board for all. Naharnet could easily trace these by simply going after the IP number and put an end to this character.
hahahahaha FLAMETHROWER GET A LIFE!
I am seriously doubting your identity? Is there really anybody as passionate about this aoun clown to create so many profiles to put thumbs up and down?? Or are you related to him? Gebran Bassil maybe? hahaha
I hope u ll come back to reason before the clown does.
hahahahaha FLAMETHROWER GET A LIFE!
I am seriously doubting your identity? Is there really anybody as passionate about this aoun clown to create so many profiles to put thumbs up and down?? Or are you related to him? Gebran Bassil maybe? hahaha
I hope u ll come back to reason before the clown does.
“I don't see partitioning in Lebanon and the security situation will not deteriorate to an extent that exceeds what happened in the past few days,” Aoun said in an interview on his movement’s mouthpiece OTV.
so to those who have common sense and post on here... so in short, what happened in the past few days is halal and not a big deal, unless it gets worse. so the demented general has officially declared his support to the illegal kidnappings, as long as his family members do not get kidnapped. yes.. yes.. continue to vote for him, or in other words continue to vote for your pocket as it is his time to steal and get you rich..
Asked about the latest spate of kidnappings that targeted Syrian, Turkish, Kuwaiti and Lebanese citizens, Aoun said: “If we want to criticize the trend of blocking the airport road and kidnappings, we must first take into account the first event: the abduction of the 11 Lebanese (pilgrims) in Syria and the reports about their death in an air raid.”
“How do you want the citizens to react?” Aoun asked.
ummmmm...maybe in a civilized manner that would befit a well educated person???????????
or are you condoning an eye for an eye...a bomb for a bomb...an assassination for another...where does it stop ya GENERAL inta..ya the image of Army inta...
Asked about the recent arrest of former minister Michel Samaha on charges of conspiring with Syrian security chief Maj. Gen. Ali Mamlouk to carry out bombings and assassinations in Akkar, Aoun said “the issue has become an issue of political exploitation and media outlets are also taking advantage of this matter.”
“Lebanon is an arena for the world's intelligence agencies, that's why I won't accuse anyone or acquit anyone and I will leave the issue to the judiciary to perform its duty,” he added.
you were in a hurry to support the army against a dead sheikh who may or maybe not have had an RPG and alcohol in his car...
AND you decline to comment and judge on smaha's case (an open and shut case)
FT/Mowaten and his 10 nicks at his best. He actually forgot some passwords, that's why you only have 7 red votes. LOL
Aoun, however, lamented that the security officials “are not responding promptly enough to the sensitive issues.”
yes the security arrest of your good friend samaha is not good enough to be classified as "not responding promptly enough to the sensitive issues...." and as you previously said, the kidnappings in lebanon could not be considered as an enough of a security deterioration for you.... so keep voting for him my fellow Christians...
Voicing confidence in the army’s coherence, Aoun said: “Our army is the last to disintegrate and the first to unite, because it has a patriotic spirit and this is what it is implementing on the ground.”
yes that is why our army disintegrated during the civil war....
and that is why the 6th brigade was supporting berri and butchering the palestinians in their camps
In what country would Syria be considered a 'democracy'? Probably the same one that considers Iran one.
Asked about the latest spate of kidnappings that targeted Syrian, Turkish, Kuwaiti and Lebanese citizens, Aoun said: “If we want to criticize the trend of blocking the airport road and kidnappings, we must first take into account the first event: the abduction of the 11 Lebanese (pilgrims) in Syria and the reports about their death in an air raid.”
“How do you want the citizens to react?” Aoun asked.
we want citizens to react like responsible citizens. meaning if they burn a tire, they are destroying our environment... and when they kidnap or abduct or kill a human being, they are destroying our very existence..... but then again, this is the same demented general who forced certain MPs into being held at will.. a their residence... under house arrest.. so they do not vote in favor of the taef accord... because in short... the taef accord took away his ability to practice his dictatorship over lebanon
this man is dangerous and destructive. even if he came out and said he supports the devil his followers would remain loyal to him.
"Aoun: The war is an American-European war that is being waged through the Syrian people. They want to change the regime because they consider it to be... an economic obstacle because it is not allowing the passage of oil from Turkey to Europe."
someone please give this senile imbecile a map or a globe
General Michel Aoun is ill, He isn't in his right mind. He suffers from atherosclerosis. That's why I quit his camp, his decisions are based on nothing.
“Turkey is not our enemy but rather a brotherly country, the same as Qatar and Saudi Arabia, although they have distanced themselves from us. Instead of talking about Lebanon's stability, let them find solutions to what's happening, because they are the ones who are supporting the Free Syrian Army,” Aoun said.
wow he considers turkey qatar saudi arabia as brotherly countries... he must want money from them... he then adds that they have distanced themselves from us, but why doesnt he tell us why they distanced themselves from us? maybe because of him and his kidnapping allies?
Instead of talking about Lebanon's stability, let them find solutions to what's happening, because they are the ones who are supporting the Free Syrian Army,” Aoun said.
last time i checked, it was not the FSA who is causing problems in lebanon..
Asked about the recent arrest of former minister Michel Samaha on charges of conspiring with Syrian security chief Maj. Gen. Ali Mamlouk to carry out bombings and assassinations in Akkar, Aoun said “the issue has become an issue of political exploitation and media outlets are also taking advantage of this matter.”
“Lebanon is an arena for the world's intelligence agencies, that's why I won't accuse anyone or acquit anyone and I will leave the issue to the judiciary to perform its duty,” he added.
he used to meet with samaha all the time, so what else can you expect from the general? dont forget how he is surrounded by the world's intelligence arenas with the likes of fayez karam and michel samaha..
Addressing the issue of the 2013 parliamentary elections, Aoun said “nothing can torpedo the elections other than a regional war,” but warned that elections cannot be held in Akkar and Tripoli “if the security situation (there) remains the same.”
sounds like march 8 is already setting the scene for not holding the elections on time. so imagine that elections in akkar and tripoli could not be held but they can be held in southern beirut, baalbak and south lebanon under the direct threat of hizballah's illegal weapons... this man is bankrupt of wisdom... but keep voting for him my fellow christians..
Turning to the developments in Syria, Aoun said “the regime in Syria must remain secular because there are religious minorities.”
is lebanon secular? are you elected as a secular leader?
Aoun acknowledged that “what's happening in Syria is an uprising.”
“We have been calling for a change in the regime, but we do not support the cycle of violence which is being fueled by foreign countries,” he added.
ufff sah el nawm ya hasooni. now that the regime is on its way out, he wants to call it an uprising? he has been calling for a change in the regime? since when? but keep voting for him my fellow christians for you know no better
“The war is an American-European war that is being waged through the Syrian people. They want to change the regime because they consider it to be an obstacle to peace with Israel and an economic obstacle because it is not allowing the passage of oil from Turkey to Europe,” he noted.
syria the most peaceful country at the israeli border is an obstacle to peace? this man smokes crack! economic obstacle because it is not allowing the passage of oil from turkey to europe? hahah why would it have to go through syria if it is going from turkey to europe? what oil does syria have? this man is really senile but keep voting for him my fellow christian for you are greedy and trying to fill your pockets through his presence in office...
The only time Syria was close to peace with Israel was when Israel had almost promised to return the Golan heights. That deal was torpedoed when their prime minister, Yitsak Rabin was assassinated by Israeli fundamentalists. After that, Syria has always been at war with Israel. Not to mention, the Syrian Arab Army has gotten quite a good overhaul.
And please understand the oil issue before making fun of someone. You only make yourself look ignorant. The oil flow he is referring to is produced by the GCC then flows through Syria, TURKEY, and then Europe. Turkey does not produce enough oil to export. The oil issue will make EUrope independent of Russian oil and gas.
Also, insulting people who vote a certain way is quite childish.
But why would you want to confront Israel? And why would u want to do it with weapons (there are other means of confrontation other then Islamic resistance... Remember you are Christian!)
"Syria was begging Israel for peace, but Israel didn't heed their calls ."
When exactly did that happed. Ask Walid Muallem why there was not a second round of talks with Israel. He even refused to shake hands with the Israeli representative.
Remember PEACE can only come about between two countries that had been at war.
By the majority of people voting against my previous comments, does it mean that they are against peace, and want to continue the present precarious situation that exists in Lebanon?
I hope I am wrong in this assumption.
As long as they keep getting their monthly salaries from Saudi and Qatar, the M14 slaves of Saadoun will never be able to comprehend the General's sophisticated and logical views.
What a slap in the face for all the people in syria, when he says its a foreign war. How dare u? Words can't express how disrespectful that is for a Syrian who has lost his whole family in the name of freedom. Aoun has a prejudice against muslim sunnis, this has always been evident. I will ally with Phalange and LF if they convince Mustaqbal? Are u kidding me? Plus Syria has an overwhelming majority of muslims, why shouldnt they be in power, with protection for minoroties? All this scare of muslim states is the consistent work of all these dictators, it is simply not true. Muslims that are not in the khaleej want complete respect and rights for other beliefs. Our societies are intertwined and its only politicians that try to stir something diffrent.
@ramzi, GMA and his blinded followers suffer from Harriri Derangement Syndrome. It all started when they refused the land deal in Solidaire because of their damned greed and as a result lost the shares they could have had $$$ after it was built and generated wealth for Harriri and all the stakeholders that accepted the offer. They will loath Harriri for the rest of their lives no matter what.
in respone to the comment stating what Aoun said regarding Syria as a place of freedom, you must be kidding for sure. a place of freedom who kills every oponent. Go to Hell Aoun..
Aoun said the priority must be given to “the proliferation of arms and the absence of the state.”
He stressed that “Hizbullah's arms are necessary because they enable us to confront Israel.”
Only a person without a rational thinking brain could hold such two opposing thoughts in his head at the same time, much less express them both in one address.