Military head praises Lebanese army

Military chief General Jean Qahwaji on Wednesday addressed army officers saying the latest violence in the north of the country presented a chance to prove the army's important role of "nipping strife in the bud". "Rise to the challenge and show your commitment to protect people by fulfilling your duties with responsibility," the army chief said on the 12th anniversary of Resistance and Liberation. He confirmed that defence and security missions were complementary so as to preserve Lebanon's sovereignty and its higher interests. "As it is unacceptable to compromise any of the country's resources, it is also deplorable to tamper with citizens' security and dignity, and to take advantage of democracy and public freedoms in Lebanon, as well as the Arab unrest, to strike the country's foundations, disrupt its unity and manipulate the fate of its generations," Qahwaji concluded.