Qahwaji Hails Saudi Arabia's Staunch Support to Lebanon
Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji hailed on Sunday the efforts exerted by Saudi Arabia to safeguard Lebanon, stressing that the “time is not right to reply to the insults” made by Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah against Riyadh and the Gulf states.
“On behalf of myself and the Lebanese people I would like to thank the kingdom” for its grants to the Lebanese army,” Qahwaji said in comments published in the pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat.
“The aid will develop the capabilities of the Lebanese army and increase its readiness to combat terrorism and defend its border... which will improve the situation,” Qahwaji stressed.
He confirmed that French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian will deliver on Monday the first batch of arms to the Lebanese army under a Saudi financed deal.
Saudi Arabia and France inked the arms deal in Riyadh in November.
The deal also includes training programs for the Lebanese army run by the French military.
It aims to boost Lebanon's military as it struggles to contain the rising tide of violence linked to the civil war in neighboring Syria.
In August, the kingdom also offered another $1 billion in funds to allow the army to purchase supplies immediately.
Asked about Nasrallah's recent campaign against Saudi Arabia over its offensive against Shiite Huthi rebels in Yemen, Qahwaji refused to comment.
“The time is not currently right to respond to the insults issued by Nasrallah against Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries,” the military commander said.
In a televised speech on Friday, Nasrallah launched his harshest criticism yet of Saudi Arabia, blaming the kingdom for the spread of extremist ideology in the Muslim world and the killing of civilians in Yemen.
He told hundreds of supporters at a rally in Beirut southern suburbs organized in support of Huthis that Saudi-led airstrikes targeting them have not led to victory.
Since March 26, the Saudi-led coalition has been pounding the rebels and allied fighters loyal to Yemen's ousted President Saleh.
Nasrallah said that the kingdom will soon realize that "the only choice left" is a ground operation in Yemen — a "ground invasion will be costly and will end with a defeat."
Both the Huthis and Hizbullah are backed by Iran.
Nasrallah called on the Muslim world to pressure the Saudis to end the airstrikes and work for a political solution in Yemen.
However, he said no solution will restore Western-backed President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi who fled the country as his government crumbled. Saudi officials and the international community say Hadi is the legitimate president of Yemen.
"Time has come for Muslims, Arabs and the Muslim world to tell the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: 'Enough,'" said Nasrallah.
The army issued a communique later on Sunday stressing that Qahwaji didn't tackle in his comments to Asharq al-Awsat daily any political affair, whether local or regional.
“Qahwaji only made remarks about the Saudi grant for the Lebanese army and the French weapons,” the statement added.
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