Lebanese Army and a 'Dagger in the Back'.. A Striking Statement from the Minister of Defense!

The office of Minister of National Defense Major General Michel Menassa issued the following statement:

In recent days, positions have emerged targeting the Lebanese Army and its leadership, under headings claiming the military institution's adherence to government decisions without discussion or objection, escalating to attacks, skepticism, and incitement against the army, its leadership, and its commander, raising questions about resignation or dismissal and treating the commander as an employee obligated to execute rather than object or express opinions.

Accordingly, it is necessary to clarify the following:

The powers of the Council of Ministers are limited to decisions related to general defense and security policy, not issuing orders or instructions, which are exclusively within the powers and duties of the Army Command.

The army has a fundamental, pivotal, permanent, and extended mission: to defend Lebanon—its land, people, and institutions—against any external or internal enemy, protect national unity and civil peace, maintain internal stability, deter breaches of security, confront any mischief or sedition, and face anyone who considers their status, position, or actions above the law and citizen safety.

The Minister of National Defense affirms that the military institution adheres to political decisions issued by the executive authority and directives from His Excellency the President of the Republic, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. However, the grave and serious national responsibility borne by the army is the top priority, the most important consideration, and the highest goal under which it operates. This ensures that any decision respects the army's capabilities and resources, preserves the morale of its officers and personnel, guarantees the unity of its people, and prevents any sedition that may result from steps taken under pressure or driven by circumstances.

The Lebanese Army is the only unifying institution that melts all Lebanese into the crucible of patriotism, rejecting division, factionalism, and sectarianism.

The army will always remain a drawn sword against Lebanon's enemies, seeking no reward, because the love of the Lebanese for it is the greatest reward. It asks only that no Lebanese person, intentionally or unintentionally, allow themselves to be a dagger in its back, stabbing its sacrifices and the blood of its martyrs.