Suleiman: Legal Measures Being Taken against Security Violators

President Michel Suleiman stressed on Monday that the security forces and army in Lebanon are not neglecting laying down the law against security violators.

He told the National News Agency: “Legal measures are being taken against the violators.”

He expressed his faith in the army in “choosing the best legal means to maintain order in Lebanon.”

“All sides must trust the army in fulfilling this mission,” stressed the president.

“We are working on ending the root of the problems in Tripoli once and for all,” he said in reference to the security instability witnessed in the northern city in recent months.

Suleiman called for “benefiting positively from the resistance's arms and implementing the decisions of the previous national dialogue sessions on the Palestinian possession of weapons inside and outside refugee camps.”

National will and the Taef accord have prevented the escalation of events in Lebanon, he declared.

“It is wrong to belittle the Lebanese system,” he stated.

Commenting on the March 14 camp's memorandum, Suleiman noted: “Any request can be made in a memo directed to the president, but no conditions can be imposed on him.”

“The memo I received tackles political issues and the government. Seeing as these forces enjoy a large parliamentary bloc, then they can subject the government to a no-confidence vote,” he added.

Addressing the situation in Syria, he remarked: “All misconceptions should be removed between Lebanon and Syria.”

“The special ties Lebanon enjoys with Syria should not be dependent on one political power or the ruling forces in Syria,” he said.

He revealed that treaties between the two countries were being reconsidered for some time now.

The March 14 camp had demanded in its memo last week the suspension of agreements between Lebanon and Syria, the expulsion of the Syrian ambassador to Lebanon, and the filing of a complaint to the Arab League over Syria's repeated violations of Lebanese territories.

“Lebanon and Syria enjoy historic ties and the known flaws between them must be rectified,”Suleiman stressed.

Agreements between the two countries should be modified in a manner that benefits both sides, he added.

On Pope Benedict XVI's upcoming visit to Lebanon, the president said: “He is visiting the country for the sake of the Christians in the East.”

The pope is scheduled to arrive in Lebanon on September 14 on a three-day visit.