Lebanon’s Aoun defends Hezbollah weapons

Lebanon’s Aoun defends Hezbollah weapons
Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun defended on Sunday Hezbollah’s possession of weapons, saying the arms of the Shite terrorist group are an essential part in defending Lebanon.

“Hezbollah weapons are not contradictory to the state, but are an essential part in defending the country,” Aoun said in an interview with Egypt’s CBC satellite channel.

“As long as a part of the territory is occupied by Israel, and as long as the army is not powerful enough to fight Israel, we feel the need to maintain the weapons of the ‘resistance’ to complement the army,” he said.

Aoun said Hezbollah fighters “are originally from the south and whose land was occupied” by Israel.

Former Minister of Justice Major General Ashraf Rifi slammed, in a statement, Aoun’s comments on the “illegal weapons” of Hezbollah, saying that he was not surprised with the president’s remarks. Rifi also pointed out that this was one of the reasons why he was opposed to Aoun’s election as a president.

The ex-minister also highlighted that questioning the capabilities of the Lebanese army and allowing Hezbollah to possess weapons put Lebanon in danger. He added that the president, who is entrusted with sovereignty and constitution, has become entrusted with protecting the weapons which threaten Lebanon’s stability.

Aoun was speaking on the eve of his first visit to Egypt for talks with his Egyptian counterpart.

Aoun was elected Lebanon’s president in October, ending a presidential vacuum which had lasted more than two and a half years.

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