Joseph Aoun emphasises “exclusive right” of army to bear arms

Lebanese president, army chief Joseph Aoun who was elected on January 9th has said that he will make sure the state has the “exclusive right to carry arms,” The Arab Weekly via Reuters reported on January 10th.

In presenting the idea that the army, rather than Hezbollah safeguard Lebanon’s sovereignty, Aoun said: “I pledge to call for discussing a comprehensive defence strategy… on the diplomatic, economic and military levels that will enable the Lebanese state — I repeat, the Lebanese state — to remove the Israeli occupation and deter its aggression.”

In the first round of votes, lawmakers from the Hezbollah bloc had “voted blank” during the first session of the ballot, which meant Aoun did not gain the necessary two-thirds majority to be elected at that stage.

The Arab Weekly via Reuters