NNA - Lebanese Army commander, General Jean Qahwaji, delivered a statement on the occasion of the seventieth anniversary of independence addressing the Order of the Day to the military personnel.



"Fellow troops,


It is our destiny as Lebanese citizens to celebrate most of the times the Independence Day amid security and political dangers and threats which our country and the Middle East region are witnessing.
However, it is our choice as soldiers to endeavor for the sake of safeguarding this country.



We shall persist in confronting the Israeli enemy with all of its spying networks and greed, just as we will be fighting terrorism in its different forms and hunt down every perpetrator attempting to tamper with our unity.



Our choice as soldiers and citizens is to work at all times to join together all the Lebanese families around the symbol of Independence and to make sacrifices in order to preserve the flag and the constitution which protects the Republic.


Fellow troops,


We have witnessed firsthand the incidents which our neighboring countries are facing, for a period of 15 years. During these days, Lebanon knew its darkest days which ended up with a social pact that restored the country's unity and achieved peace and stability. The Constitution which summed up in its preamble Lebanon's essence and real meaning stressed the importance of coexistence as a solid pillar for the rise of Lebanon and highlighted the fact that there is "no legitimacy for any authority contradicting the Pact of Coexistence".



Today, while the region's countries are running towards changes and drafting new pacts, attempts are made to ravage our national accord and to sabotage coexistence.
At this critical moment, it is our destiny and choice to preserve and safeguard this pact and we are investing efforts to solve our crises through this pact and not by looking for solutions elsewhere that will lead us to the unknown.



Fellow troops,


You are continuously exerting efforts to preserve the spirit of the pact of national agreement based on respecting coexistence and the particularities of all the Lebanese components. By doing so, you are preserving the legacy passed to us through those who laid the foundations of this country and established its independence.



On this Independence Day, we recall as Lebanese citizens the words of the Intellectual Michel Chiha: "Lebanon is an inveterate country with regards to the lessons of the past, and the Lebanese citizens of today are the same citizens of yesterday.



We might not be able to change the course of events unless we persevere in overcoming dangers with a strong will, courage and faith since our primary mission is to retain the noble aspect of our country's freedom, spirituality, tolerance and independence".


Fellow troops,


This message is our mission.



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