The Lebanese Army (LAF) Command on Friday dismissed speculation in the media regarding its current missions, stressing that the military continues to carry out its duties “with the highest levels of responsibility, professionalism, and concern for the nation’s security and internal stability.”
In a statement, LAF underlined that the army operates “in line with the decisions of the political authority” and remains committed to fulfilling its national duty “no matter how great the challenges.” It emphasized that soldiers of all ranks have made considerable sacrifices over the years.
Additionally, the army urged media outlets to refrain from speculating about its decisions or internal affairs, calling instead for reliance on official statements for accurate information.
It is noteworthy that the clarification came after Al-Akhbar newspaper headlined its Friday edition with, “Army Commander: I’d Rather Resign Than Spill Blood.” The paper reported, citing informed sources, that Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal was unsettled by what he heard from a recent visiting US delegation and by mounting US-Saudi pressure on the Lebanese authorities to proceed with disarming Hezbollah. According to the report, Haykal has conveyed privately that he would prefer to resign rather than see the army ordered to engage in bloodshed against Lebanese citizens.
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