Suleiman Slams Turning Requests to Hold Army Accountable into Political Campaign
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
President Michel Suleiman hit back on Monday at requests made by March 14 alliance officials to hold the army accountable over the clashes in the southern city of Sidon, saying such demands should not be turned into a political campaign that targets its patriotic role.
In a statement released by Baabda palace, Suleiman lauded the military's patriotic role in preventing strife and confronting security tension to preserve civil peace and stability.
The president also praised the sacrifices made by the army, including the death of soldiers during armed confrontations with gunmen and suspects accused of committing “massacres.”
“Requests to hold it accountable on mistakes that happened during confrontations should not be equivalent to its patriotic role and should not be turned into a political campaign that targets such a role,” said the presidential statement.
Suleiman stressed it was up to the military to hold accountable some of its members and to take disciplinary and judicial measures against them.
The president's statement was a clear retort to the March 14 alliance that on Sunday considered a memo handed to Suleiman by Sidon MPs Bahia Hariri and Fouad Saniora as a “national memo.”
It asks for the referral of the case of the Sidon clashes between the army and supporters of Salafist cleric Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir more than two weeks ago to the Judicial Council and the prevention of all armed activities in the city.
It also calls for the removal of all political flags from the city and the closure of all offices belonging to “armed groups,” in reference to Hizbullah.
During the meeting of March 14 personalities in Hariri's residence in Majdalyoun on Sunday, Saniora rejected what he said were some militia-like acts committed by soldiers in their battle with the gunmen after videotapes of alleged torture began emerging.
Military Examining Magistrate Judge Fadi Sawan questioned on Monday an officer and four soldiers for violating military rules and causing the death of a suspect involved in the battles.
He issued arrest warrants against them.
08 July 2013, 14:47
15
Thank you Mr. President for a wise message.
It is getting ridiculous, embarrassing and ugly as all this political bickering will lead to nowhere except disaster.
Enough political dancing .
Time for action and removal of old politicians who have been in their seats for decades.
Religion and democracy do not mix.
Keep your religion to oneself and spread democracy to others
08 July 2013, 14:53
411
The army has to be held accountable if it is proved that they let hizballa fight along them against another lebanese sect. justice needs to be served.
08 July 2013, 15:52
113
why do u keep on turning this into something sectarian when its not! Do moderate sunnis consider themselves akin to extremists like Assir? Well, at least i know that my sunni friends despise him and are happy abt the army's action to defend the country.
Defending civil peace by responding to attacks by extremists has nothing to do with sectarianism. No one attacked the Sunnis, for God's sake!
On another note, and for the third time on this forum, because no1 gave me an answer to this question, not even Michael Young the journalist: did anyone hear of any Hezb casualty resulting from the Abra fighting? None? How could that even be possible if they were actually actively fighting alongside the army??
08 July 2013, 15:56
102
And what's more, had the extremists been Christian extremists attacking the army, the one institution which still represents unity in the country, i would have had the exact same reaction. It's a red line you should not trespass.
Any extremist of any sect who dares point a gun at the army should be jailed for high treason. As simple as that.
09 July 2013, 02:55
03
freemind,
The only reason civil war is not at full throttle is because the majority of Sunnis (ie. Mustaqbal) are moderates who are still counting on the protection of the army and the Judiciary. Unlike your warriors who are itching for a fight and their fingers are on the trigger.
09 July 2013, 02:56
02
freemind,
Did you have the same reaction when Samer Hanna was shot down? Oups sorry, I forgot, that was not intentional.
09 July 2013, 09:52
00
@helicopter
why do u assume i am pro Hezb, when i told u already i am neither pro nor anti.
i am just asking a question abt them in defense of the army!
09 July 2013, 02:53
03
f.t.,
can you tell us if the soldiers (at least wearing the uniform) abusing the accused were Sunni or Shiites? And please repy with the solid facts do not try to pass them along as if it is your personal opinion....... we do not fall for such tricks.
08 July 2013, 15:22
311
The demands Of mustaqbal regarding arm free Saida are very wise. However this is not acceptable to hizbullah.
08 July 2013, 15:57
114
FT, you're mistaken.
First, you cannot use the word "LEGALIZE" because there is nothing written and nothing legal about these weapons in Lebanese law.
Second, Syria AUTHORIZED Hezbollah weapons.
Back then, you could not be an elected politician without Syrian approval. You could not contradict Syria's wishes without fear of repercussion. This means the 128 politicians were under the control of Syria. This includes politicians from both M14 and M8.
You're answer is completely wrong and designed to point the finger and blame elsewhere.
Rafiq Hariri by the way was the first of this "old guard" to "TURN" against the regime and hezbollah's weapons, that's why he was killed. (I'm not saying others where not opposed but they were not pro-syrian to start with).
It's sad to see that the first people to oppose themselves to Syria and weapons currently are backing the Syrian regime and Hezbollah weapons !
08 July 2013, 17:04
19
Merci flamme catcher. You take the time to dissect Lebanon's past events (which us time and energy consuming), I and many other here appreciate your efforts. You won't affect someone's views who is paid by the Syrian regime, but naharnet's readers from all over the world can see through.
Merci
08 July 2013, 17:12
19
De rien Benzona !
Playing my little role in enlightening our brothers who have fallen victims to the Dark Side of the "Flame" ...
08 July 2013, 18:59
16
Thanks for FC to put things in perspective. By the way Hizbullah had a national role when it fought Israel occying Lebanon. Since Israel withdrew it lost it's raison d'être. But worse than that, it has turned it's weapon onto part of the Lebanese that disagree with its politics.
09 July 2013, 03:02
03
The same people that once supported HA changed did so because HA was the military arm to liberate the South. Mission accomplished, Syrian army left, and now is the time to build the army and the State ....... arms of HA are impeding this and destroying the State. We do not accept liberating the South from Israel as the price to grant all of Lebanon to Welayat Elfaqih. Any honorable resistance knows the time to give up its arms and help build a State was 7 years ago.
09 July 2013, 11:45
01
Monsieur Tout Feu Tout Flamme ... you truly argue like a real Aounie : irrelevant comments, diversion of subject, avoidance of question and false claims.
I'm still waiting for you to claim that Hariri himself armed the non-resistance.
Hariri/M14 never accepted Hezbollah's weapons. They agreed to postpone the subject to avoid further tensions. This in no case was an acceptance of Hezbollah's weapons and existance as a paramilitary organisation.
You make it sound that M14 were the main backers of Hezbollah and are responsible for Hezbollah's weapons. You could not be more crazy or spread more lies.
Open your eyes or simply stop spreading lies ... You live in an illusion !
08 July 2013, 15:57
143
Looks like Suleiman finally grew some balls and snapped back at the February 14 Saudi-Wahabis.
08 July 2013, 17:08
72
i am counting, so that is 5, no 7, no 8... 8 people on this forum want civil war. keep it coming guys. u'll get it if u really want it.
08 July 2013, 17:54
52
I see that people on this forum prefer war to civil peace.
I think I better leave this site before i get totally depressed.
Better things to do than engage in non-communication with obtuse minds.
Flamethrower, Phoenix1 i think u shld do the same.
But of course u r free to do as u please.
It is still a free country (for the moment)
09 July 2013, 03:06
02
Of course there will be civil peace regardless of what M-14 want. After all 80,000 rockets coulld destroy all of Lebanon ...... if any of them is left then we keep those pointing to Tel-Aviv and Haifa.
You guys are so peaceful ..... you put Ghandi and Mandella to shame.
09 July 2013, 10:07
00
oh dear... helicopter, when will u understand that i am not pro Hezb?
i told u already i am neutral, un-obsessed either positively or negatively by them.
i am a freakin' moderate who is fed up of both M14 and M8 who are both driving the country to hell. and i highlight: BOTH.
on the other hand, i want to be able to trust people. Hypocrites are difficult to trust. Now, people who speak their minds like Aoun and Hezb, i might not like them, but with them its crystal clear. There is no 2 faced hypocrisy. They tell u things as they are.
I have a prob with parties like Mustaqbel who promote themselves as bearing the principles of the state, as though they were the example of righteousness. I am sorry, I dont buy that. And I wont expose every single reason why. You all know them, even if you dont agree with them because you are pro-M14.
08 July 2013, 17:54
53
I see that people on this forum prefer war to civil peace.
I think I better leave this site before i get totally depressed.
Better things to do than engage in non-communication with obtuse minds.
Flamethrower, Phoenix1 i think u shld do the same.
But of course u r free to do as u please.
It is still a free country (for the moment)
08 July 2013, 23:18
12
@freemind, please do not give a rat's behind what who thumbs you up or down because it matters not. What matters is to speak your mind as long as you do not degenerate to the level of some sorry excuses for human being who post here which as far as I can see you have not. We respect and interact with people like you.
09 July 2013, 03:13
02
Freemind, I personally know a successful actor in Hollywood whose name need not be mentioned here. His words to me were: "There are two golden rules in life which let to my success in show business. Never give a damn about what people "think" about you and what people "say" about you." Most of the commentators who post their views here are not worth giving any consideration.
09 July 2013, 19:02
00
Thank you the1phoenix, very much appreciated :)
& i should add: likewise!
09 July 2013, 19:02
00
Thank you the1phoenix, very much appreciated :)
& i should add: likewise!
08 July 2013, 19:47
13
This horse is already out of the barn. When the Army is committed to responding to sedition from one sector, that is from the Sunni cleric Assir, but then is not committed to responding to sedition from the Shia Hezbollah, this sort of thing will happen. Hezbollah has successfully politicized the LAF by setting up red lights to responding to one type of sedition and green lights for others.
The LAF should be committed to ending ALL acts of sedition coming from any and all quarters. Hezbollah should not be spared. That it is being spared, puts the Army de facto into the political pot.
08 July 2013, 19:52
22
By so doing, the LAF and its credibility as a national institution has been undermined by the political class particularly by Hezbollah and its allies.
The Army is the Army, the State is the State. Except in Lebanon, the Army has a parallel armed institution, Hezbollah. The State has a parallel political entity, the Shura Council of Hezbollah. It is difficult at times to detect who is in charge of the country. And what sedition against the State means. Sedition against the Republic of Lebanon or sedition against Hezbollah.
The duality must end. The solution to an armed Hezbollah is not an armed Salafist camp. Rather, the solution is that all political parties, including Hezbollah, must surrender their arms to the State and everyone must agree to live under the rule of law as established by the democratic institutions of the state.
08 July 2013, 20:22
43
Amazing , our LAF have been targeted & killed from the north, south, east, & west trying to uphold stability & security in our nation yet we have certain MPs attacking, defaming , discrediting our young brave sons wear the Lebanese uniform instead of trying to hand in the enemies of our country, where is Assir ? Where Fadel Shaker? Who is harbouring them? Shouldn't this be the main issue? But instead of praising our soldiers for keeping civil peace you MPs are degrading them for your own greedy means. Shame on you, shame on all your families yah MPs that are against our LAF ...your certainly not Lebanese !
08 July 2013, 20:58
14
The LAF must be even handed in dealing with those who would take up arms against the people of Lebanon, her government or her Army. It must deal with all violations in the same manner, otherwise it compromises its credibility.
It is not sufficient to cheer the Army when it cracks on Sunnis, as the basis for the cheering may represent a sectarian animus against Sunni rather than support for the nation and the institution of the Army.
The same is true when the Army cracks on Shia, or Druze or Christian or any other sect that happens to be acting in violation of the nation. There should be no cheers raised from an anti-Shia, anti-Christian or anit-Druze animus, but because the Army is standing strong for the Republic.
08 July 2013, 20:58
03
Hezbollah "Resistance Brigades" have compromised this perception of the Army and have thus "messed with" the Army. Who defames the Army? Partisan sectarian militia who use the Army as a shield under which they settle sectarian scores with other armed confessional groups. These defame the Army.
08 July 2013, 21:01
03
The Army must be freed of partisan political constraints so that it may perform its mission of safeguarding the security of the Republic. It cannot perform this mission if its political leadership allows it to be coopted into one partisan armed faction or the other. The Army is above all factions. The brave young men do not put their lives in danger to promote a partisan agenda, but to protect and defend the Republic which is made of all sects, all confessional groups and all parties. The Army is not for one, it is for all; it is from all.
08 July 2013, 21:05
05
@FT, you read into posts what you will as is your right. If you find sectarian agitation in my post, it is only because you have fabricated and invented it. Life must be nice as a Naharnet troller. You do it so well.
08 July 2013, 23:19
11
@freemind, please do not give a rat's behind what who thumbs you up or down because it matters not. What matters is to speak your mind as long as you do not degenerate to the level of some sorry excuses for human being who post here which as far as I can see you have not. We respect and interact with people like you.
08 July 2013, 23:23
22
There is no excuse to condemn the army institution for the actions of a few degenerates thugs who committed crimes for which they will be punished. Those who are dragging the army into their political BS, yes you M14 damn you, aught to be ashamed for resorting to the same tactics of M8 and sinking to their level. Both M14 and M8 are enemies of the state as far as I am concerned and both should be booted out.
09 July 2013, 00:39
30
@beiruti
In which camp do live in ? Even the poorest of the poor " TRUE LEBANESE" the only pride they have is in the CEDAR TREE.
So please don't be like some of your MPs who defames our young men in greens, you to along with your fellow traitors including those MPs should be "Booted" out of our country!
09 July 2013, 01:13
12
Very well said. Also, isn't it true that Israel is or has already drilled the sea floor some 4 kilometers deep arguably into Lebanese territory while Lebanon lets itself be drawn back and forth from internal to regional conflicts? The people just don't or can't see it. None of the regional countries want to see Lebanon succeed. Not Saudi Arabia, Israel, Syria or Iran, and the corrupt, shortsighted billionaires who we have intrusted to govern the country and manage our affairs allow this to happen and get richer. They give you religion that sparks and triggers an emotional response to keep you busy from the real/important issues that goes undetected in the backgrounds. Wake up people!
09 July 2013, 03:36
03
@spirit. I live in neither camp. Only the Lebanese national camp is my camp.. None of the MPs are mine. It is a sample of how twisted these so called "true Lebanese" have become that unless you are in one camp or the other that you are some sort of traitor fit only to be booted out. If you want to call me a traitor to the FPM, or Mustaqbel, or to the PSP, AMAL, please be my guest. If to be a Lebanese national I am a traitor to the partisans who put party or sect above country, Spirit, then I'm the worst traitor on this site.
09 July 2013, 04:11
20
@beiruti
Did you not know that Lebanon is NOT a Camp my beiruti dear friend? Go , go , go back to what ever camp you live in so called beiruti fraud ! You have no honour of our Holy Cedar Land ! It is written in the old scriptures that the King of Tyre & Sidon provided the Holy Cedar wood to build the holiest of all temples, ( King Soloman) !! This what made in the eyes of our God that Lebanon & it's Cedars are forever Holy ! As to you, sorry to say from you past posts you are a traitor of our Land & the protectors of its' Cedar who are our sons that wear it on their head & are ready to sacrifice themselves to death ! But you, you are just a scumbag !!!
09 July 2013, 03:48
02
Who here is knowledgeable enough to say if the Lebanese Army is independently strong enough to stifle and disarm any ethnic/religious group by just intimidation or by very little human blood and without outside interference. If the Lebanese know and agree H.A.'s arms is a gift and support truly and solely Lebanese interests, then it is a no brainer and it would have been incorporated under one army/flag years ago. Whether or not you like or agree with H.A., it is a proxy Iranian/Syrian force and most likely will receive the support of Iran and/or the Syrian army in case the Lebanese army decides to interfere with their goals and agendas. So, it is not really fair to pass judgment on the "army" in general, but rather our judgment, aggression and criticism should be directed towards those politicians or the high ranking army officials who are serving foreign interests.
09 July 2013, 14:57
00
@spirit. Ole Buddy, you need to calm down a bit. Get off the weed and chill a little bit. Cedar Trees, yes, very nice, I've been to see what's left of them. Those that are left still stand tall. Greed and aravice, profit and selfishness caused the great cedar forests of Lebanon to be reduced to a remnant patch. But the patch of cedars survives, the symbol of eternity and of our nation, Lebanon. They will survive all things.
Even fanatics.
09 July 2013, 14:57
00
@spirit. Ole Buddy, you need to calm down a bit. Get off the weed and chill a little bit. Cedar Trees, yes, very nice, I've been to see what's left of them. Those that are left still stand tall. Greed and aravice, profit and selfishness caused the great cedar forests of Lebanon to be reduced to a remnant patch. But the patch of cedars survives, the symbol of eternity and of our nation, Lebanon. They will survive all things.
Even fanatics.
