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THE ARMY IS LEBANON  (Translated freely: By Elias Bejjani) Shamefully, the wave of haphazard rhetoric criticism has reached lately the Lebanese Army. The army that we all love, admire and support. The State's army, the army of every Lebanese in Lebanon and Diaspora. The Lebanese army has embraced among its ranks all religions, all denominations, all factions, all regions, all ideas and all believes. It unified all of them effectively under the national umbrella of honesty, sacrifice, equality and loyalty. The revengeful, vicious, unjustifiable attacks on our army, are in fact attacks against our people; youth, elderly and children. The evil attacks are degrading to its stance of sacrifice, martyerhood, heroism and devotion. The Lebanese army was, and shall remain always, our protector and our symbol of patriotism. It will be, as always, our salvation means, in spite of all the acts of collaboration, treason, grudges, fanatism, and hatred practiced by mercenary leaders and officials. The Lebanese Army shall always remain the fort, the hope and the people's aspiration for freedom, coexistence, multiculturalism and democracy, It shall remain so, no matter how cheap politics become, and how profitable subservience turns to be, It shall remain so, no matter what colors or forms favoritism, nepotism or collaborators might take, It shall remain so, no matter how much corruption and acts of irresponsibility prevail. With free will, the Free Patriotic Current choose to support the army. We have constantly committed ourselves to protect it and its soldiers. We were, and shall always be, committed to defend its message and the noble mission of its members. It was our free choice to join the Free Patriotic Current, and to be soldiers among its ranks. We choose to defend our land, our honor, our identity, our heritage and all our holy human and national rights. As devoted members in its ranks, no matter what others do or say, we shall always respect our military obligations, and honor our military oath. It was our free choice not to appease for any political or administrative position, or to blindly follow certain groups or factions. We committed ourselves to education, knowledge, efficiency and acted accordingly. We gave graciously with love and devotion, and never allowing our human greediness to lead our conduct, affiliations or performance. We do not take sides in political wars waged for individual gains. We openly and proudly reject any role or involvement in the prevailing Atrocities of power and financial quota distribution, or in subservience and collaboration cheap maneuvers. We reject injustice and oppression, We reject humiliation and acts of dishonor, We reject ignorance and custodianship, We reject submissiveness and surrender. We are ready to alienate, condemn and degrade a military comrade if he betrays or sells his honor and the honor of his great Lebanon Dear comrades be cautious and avoid such unforgivable patriotic sins, Be cautious not to cling to awkwardness, feudalism, tribelism, denominationalism or fanatism, Be cautious not to arbitrarily attack your army, whose significant traits are in its devotion, sacrifices, and nationalism, Be cautious, not to go too far in using hatred, plotting and division tactics as fuel for igniting the politician's conflicts, An army officer may trap and fall; a subordinate could be disappointed, A good leader might be forced to leave; A president could be targeted, A call could unite; an innocent might be slaughtered, No matter what the circumstances are, no matter who falls or leaves, No matter what happens, no matter what wrongdoing is committed, Fall of an individual, no matter whom he might be, Does not, by any means, indicate the fall of the whole army. By the same token, keeping the army away from politics, does not by any criteria, mean to cut it of its national feelings, or alienating its members from their milieu. He, who falls from the army, even when in high ranking leadership position, falls alone, and the army remains a significant pioneering academy and role model in nationalism and sacrifice. Long Live the Army Long Free Live Lebanon France. February 26-1999 |