Aoun Marks General Security’s 81st Anniversary
President Joseph Aoun praised the sacrifices and achievements of Lebanon’s General Security Directorate during a ceremony marking its 81st anniversary, saying the institution should serve as a model for other state administrations.
I came not only to take part in your 81st anniversary, but to bow before the memorial of General Security’s martyrs, and before your sacrifices and steadfast determination that made these achievements possible, Aoun said at the directorate’s headquarters in Beirut’s Museum district.
I did not come to boost your morale. I came to draw morale from you. I came because you are the example, and God willing, you will become a model for all state administrations, he added.
Aoun stressed that successful leadership was measured under difficult circumstances rather than during periods of financial, economic and security stability.
Addressing General Security personnel, he said their fundamental role was to serve citizens and safeguard their dignity.
Human dignity is not reserved for the wealthy, Aoun said. Human dignity means that people receive the services to which they are entitled, as they should, without owing anyone a favor. That is their natural right.
He praised the progress achieved by the directorate over roughly a year and a half, saying its continued development reflected personnel’s commitment to both the institution and Lebanon.
Aoun also referred to what he described as an internal struggle over the role of the state.
Alongside the conflict with Israel and in the south, we are in an internal struggle between people who do not want state institutions, who are the antithesis of the state and live off its absence, and those of us — you and us — who want the state and its institutions, he said.
No matter what you do, we will continue, not for your sake, but for the citizen who has rights that we are responsible for upholding, Aoun added.
He urged General Security personnel not to be affected by criticism in the media or on social platforms, telling them to allow their achievements and sacrifices to speak for themselves.
Aoun also stressed that officials who could not assume responsibility for the decisions they take did not deserve to hold office, adding that General Security personnel had demonstrated their ability to shoulder such responsibility despite difficult circumstances.
