UNIFIL commander says Lebanese Army “stronger than ever”

 

Major General Claudio Graziano, commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), said on Thursday that the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) “are stronger than ever,” adding that UNIFIL and the LAF “are in permanent contact to face dangers.”

 

Graziano made his comments during a joint maneuver carried out by members of the Lebanese Army and the Italian contingent of the international force.

 

Graziano offered his condolences to LAF commander General Michel Suleiman over the killing of General Francois Hajj on Wednesday. “I want to express my deep sadness over the assassination of my brother and friend Hajj,” Graziano said.

 

Hajj, the head of operations for the LAF, was killed in a car bomb in Baabda on Wednesday.

 

Regarding the impact of the current presidential vacuum on UNIFIL”s mission, Graziano said the presidential crisis in Lebanon “is an internal issue,” calling on the Lebanese to stand united and find the appropriate solutions to their problems.

“The presidential vacuum does not affect UNIFIL”s work,” the Italian commander said. “We will go on with our mission in cooperation with LAF in an effort to accomplish it as good as it can be [accomplished].”

 

Graziano added that Thursday”s maneuver was aimed at boosting cooperation with “our brothers in the Lebanese Army” in a bid to preserve stability and security in the South.

 

“The maneuver is also aimed at ensuring the implementation of Resolution 1701 and confronting any danger we might face,” he added. Resolution 1701 ended the summer 2006 war with Israel.

 

The maneuver, called the Western Gate, was held in Tyre and consisted of a simulated terrorist attack on the international force.

 

UNIFIL”s commander of the South”s western sector, General Paolo Rugero, said the international force had taken precautions after Hajj”s assassination.

 

“UNIFIL and the LAF are determined to defy any act of sabotage,” Rugero said.