Salam From Tyre: No Strong State Without a Strong Army
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, speaking from the Benoit Barakat Barracks in Tyre, said that southern Lebanon had paid the highest price in terms of its people and land, stressing that he felt particularly proud to stand among Army personnel serving during one of the most critical periods in the country’s history.
Addressing the soldiers, Salam said their presence in southern Lebanon represents the presence of the state, highlighting that every position where the Army is deployed is an area where the state reclaims its sovereignty and authority.
“Restoring sovereignty can only be achieved by building a capable state, and there can be no such state without a single, strong Army,” Salam said, adding that his government had committed in its ministerial statement to building a state faithful to the Constitution and the National Reconciliation Accord adopted in the Taif Agreement.
Salam reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening the Army, describing it as a strategic choice at the heart of its project to restore the state. He said the government would continue working to mobilize Arab and international support to enhance the Army’s human resources and modernize its equipment and capabilities.
He also urged military personnel not to allow political interests to divide them or sectarianism to infiltrate their ranks.
“The best way to honor our martyrs is by building a strong state with institutions that exercise exclusive authority over its territory, where no other power shares its authority and no other weapon is allowed to prevail over that of the state,” Salam said.
Addressing the soldiers again, Salam pledged the government’s full support, saying it was committed to providing them with all the means necessary to succeed in their mission.
He added that the state would continue its efforts and spare no opportunity to achieve a full Israeli withdrawal, secure the release of detainees, facilitate the return of residents to their towns and villages, and support reconstruction.
