Cabinet Does not Provide Israel With Free Assurances
State Minister Nassib Lahoud said cabinet does not provide free assurances to Israel, adding that cabinet decisions are taken to protect Lebanon against the madness of the Israeli aggression on Gaza.
In an television interview with the al-Mustaqbal News Channel on Friday Lahoud said: "It is our duty to prevent another war on Lebanon, particularly when the effects of the 2006 war are still persistent."
He pointed that Lebanon has not yet finished paying and rebuilding what was destroyed and damaged in 2006.
He affirmed that the last cabinet meeting was one of the best in terms of vision and the consensus in denouncing the use of south Lebanon as a platform for launching rockets against Israel.
"There are no guarantees that Israel won”t launch another aggression against Lebanon. However the consensus among the Lebanese is the best that Lebanon can present in shielding its citizens from the dangers of the ongoing violence," he said.
"It is too early to announce the identity of the culprits behind the fired rockets on Thursday. However, the best decision taken by cabinet from an executive point of view was to insist that the military and security forces would exert every possible effort not just to uncover the culprits but to also punish them and bring them to justice," Lahoud said.
He stressed that all those that threaten the national security of Lebanon and its citizens must be identified and held accountable.
He referred to President Michel Suleiman”s earlier visit to the south that coincided with the discovery of a rocket platform. He added that the president stated at the time" the south shall not be a platform for launching rockets."
"With all due respect to Sayed Hassan Nasrallah address, the issue of defense strategy cannot be settled by one party alone. This issue is on the table for discussion because the Lebanese differ on it," Lahoud said.
He pointed that the task of the national dialogue is to provide a common Lebanese vision on defense, the future of Hizbullah and its relationship with the state.
"This issue remains central and on the table. It can only be settled through dialogue and consensus. Previous dialogue decisions remain to be implemented once circumstance allow that to happen," Lahoud said.
He reiterated the Lebanese state”s support for holding an Arab summit, adding that Lebanon was represented at the U.N. Security Council through Foreign Affairs Minister Fawzi Salloukh.
"All of Lebanon is concerned with this (Gaza) tragedy and with the Palestinian cause which is the central to all Arabs," he ended.