Army Hits Back at Hizbullah, Refuses to be Implicated in Political Bickering

The Lebanese army hit back at Hizbullah, saying it refused to be implicated in the political bickering which ensued after bloody riots in Beirut left seven people killed.
“Involving the army in political wrangling will only contribute to weakening the army,” the army said in a communiqué Monday.

 

The military command called on the various political factions to “distance the army from all political struggling in order to preserve” its unity, the statement said.

It criticized what it called “cheap publicity which is far-away from all humanitarian and ethical values.”

Hizbullah MP Hussein Hajj Hassan on Monday accused “some army officers of not abiding by the mission and principles of the military.”

 

The army communiqué called on politicians against “jumping into erroneous conclusions or make insinuations to the tasks assigned to its officers and to their affiliations.”

“It is imperative that politicians assume responsibility and stay away from fabrications,” it said.