Aoun: Army Incapable of Defending Lebanon against Israeli Assault
Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun stressed the importance of the complementary role of the army and resistance, reported al-Akhbar newspaper on Saturday.
He explained that the Lebanese army is functioning as a border guard “and it would be incapable of defending Lebanon in case of an assault, especially an Israeli one."
He told the newspaper: “The army is the sole power that can tackle developments on the internal scene. It combats terrorism and supports the security forces in combating crime.”
“It will however be incapable of confronting a foreign assault and this is where the resistance's role in liberating land comes in,” continued the MP.
Aoun said: “The resistance does not play a security role, but it intervenes when the army fails in tackling a security development.”
“The resistance is a central figure in defending Lebanon,” he added.
“Militias are used in all world countries to assist the army in its duties,” remarked the FPM leader.
He gave the example of the French resistance against Nazi Germany during World War II.
Asked if Iran would request Hizbullah's assistance to respond to any Israeli attack, Aoun replied that Israel explained that the military maneuvers it had recently conducted were aimed at confronting Hizbullah, Syria, and Iran.
“A war with Iran will therefore include these three powers,” he noted.
“If Israel considers these three forces as a single front, then it will likely attack Iran first, then Syria, and finally Hizbullah,” the MP said.
“I am in agreement with the party that its arms are aimed at defending Lebanon,” Aoun stated.
Commenting on the developments in Syria, he told al-Akhbar that a military strike against it will “never happen.”
He explained that Europe's financial crisis will prevent it from taking military action against Syria, while “no one should be fooled into believing that the United States is capable of doing everything.”
“Other major powers have entered the picture, which will lead the region towards a new world order,” he added.
“The situation in Syria will be resolved through political dialogue or the defeat of one of the sides involved. I believe the opposition will be defeated, not the ruling regime,” he stressed.
Addressing the 2013 parliamentary elections, Aoun stressed the importance of holding the polls, warning of the dangers of failing to stage them.
He said that the March 14 forces would benefit from the postponement of the elections, adding however that it is still early to launch electoral campaigns.
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