Hollande Urges Backing for Lebanese Army as Bassil Calls for Eliminating ISIL at Paris Conference
French President Francois Hollande highlighted on Monday the need to preserve Lebanon's unity and sovereignty, while emphasizing the role of the army in protecting the country.
He stressed the importance of supporting the Lebanese army and properly equipping it.
He made his remarks at an international meeting held in Paris aimed at supporting Iraq in its fight against Islamic State militants.
Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil, who was also present at the meeting, called for eliminating the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, reported OTV.
“It must be destroyed militarily and ideologically,” he said.
The foreign minister had held talks in Paris with his American counterpart John Kerry on the latest developments in the region, the war against terrorism, and the role Lebanon can play in that battle.
“No one has the right to step down from their duty to combat ISIL,” added Bassil.
“We aim to put an end to the inhumanity of these terrorist groups,” he continued.
He explained that the sources of their funding should be depleted completely and their political and ideological backers uncovered.
“A greater initiative, supported by the United Nations, should be made and it must have political, legal, military, and humanitarian aspects,” remarked Bassil.
Moreover, he stressed the need for “immediate backing of the Lebanese armed forces,” deeming it “a mandatory condition to avoid Lebanon being dragged into a situation similar to the one in Iraq.”
“Lebanon is at an advanced stage in the battle against sectarianism and terrorism,” he said.
“Its soldiers have long represented professionalism and nationalism,” stated the minister.
Bassil also held talks on the margins of the Paris meeting with a number of his counterparts, including Russian FM Sergei Lavrov and Italian FM Federica Mogherini, who was recently appointed as European Union foreign affairs chief.
Led by the United States, the West announced last week the formation of an international coalition, which includes Lebanon, aimed at combating the Islamic State jihadist group in Iraq and Syria.
The world's top diplomats pledged Monday to support Iraq in its fight against Islamic State militants by "any means necessary", including "appropriate military assistance", as leaders stressed the urgency of the crisis.
Representatives from around 30 countries and international organizations, including the United States, Russia and China, gathered in Paris as the brutal beheading over the weekend of a third Western hostage focused participants' minds.
The international community is scrambling to contain the IS jihadists -- who have rampaged across Iraq and Syria and could number as many as 31,500 fighters, according to the CIA.
Saudi Arabia announced in August that it would dedicate one billion dollars to the Lebanese army to help it combat terrorism.
The development came in light of the army's battles with Islamist militants in the northeastern border town of Arsal in August.
Last December, Saudi Arabia agreed to finance a $3 billion deal to purchase military equipment and weapons from France for the Lebanese army, which has long complained of being sorely under-equipped.
M.T.
Y.R.
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