Mission
http://www.lebarmy.gov.lb/English/Mission.asp
The LAF’s national orientation is based on the following:
Facing the Israeli occupation and its perpetual aggression in South Lebanon and West Bekaa and supporting the steadfastness of Lebanese citizens to ensure the complete withdrawal of the Israeli forces to internationally recognized borders.
Defending the country and its citizens against all aggression.
Confronting all threats against the country’s vital interests.
Coordinating with Arab armies in accordance with ratified treaties and agreements.
Maintaining internal security and stability.
Engaging in social and development activities according to national interests.
Undertaking relief operations in coordination with other public and humanitarian institutions.
troops loading up, hugging, engines firing up....
7PM start time?
More from a Lebanese Army website: http://www.lebarmy.gov.lb/article.asp?cat=6&ln=en
11-The present situation in the region and threats against Lebanon and Syria:
The Arab region is passing through a sensitive and crucial time in its history, due to the rise of Israeli monstrous oppression against the unarmed Palestinians and the absence of any political reconciliation on one hand, and the American occupation of Iraq with its complicated effects on the other.
After three years since the start of the Palestinian uprising that endures oppression, mass murder, home demolition, destruction of agricultural land, siege, racial and religious discrimination, Israel was unable with its advanced technologically to break down the will of the Palestinian people. They were unable to stop their uprising or their justified fight to create their own sovereign state and retrieve their lost land and rights.
And after eight months of American-British occupation of Iraq, the situation is still fogy, especially that the security, politics, economic and social situation is getting worse and has become an anarchy. Furthermore, since the U.S. was unable to find any weapons of mass destruction which was their main motive in launching the war, the voices of opposition were heard from within the U.S. and Britain in response to their policy makers. Such voices argued the aims of the war, and the future success of this occupation especially that the security situation has become unbearable, since the daily attacks on the coalition forces is leading to great human and material losses.
With such evident situation, the threats towards Lebanon and Syria have risen by the Israeli violations of the Syrian air space on 5th of October 2003 over the village of Ein-Sahib and the ratification of the American congress for the Syrian accountability act, and finally the Israeli air and sea violations of the Lebanese territory.
Those threats are launched under the slogans raised by both Syrian and Lebanese in supporting the resistance movements which are labeled as terrorist by the U.S. and Israel.
Yet the problems of Israeli region have risen from their rejection to all peace proposals, their continuation in settlement building and demolition. This also goes in accordance with the American conflict in Iraq which is the result of misconception at the Iraqi people and the lack of a clear political sight in resolving the Iraqi problem.
Those threats come as a result to the Palestinian uprising and its effects on the internal structure at the Zionist region. It is also a result of the conflicting situation that the U.S. is facing in Iraq, represented by the rise of resistance and the lack at diplomatic solutions which may give way for the Iraqi’s to gain their national independence, and the efforts of those two states to push the conflict outwards and putting the whole region on the brink of explosion.
The facing of such challenges is based on more resistance, preparation for all circumstances, patriotism, and following the path of the political leadership of Syria and Lebanon towards the Arab-Israeli conflict and regional cases. This is based on clutching to our rights and the Arab justified demands, as well as the decisions and conventions of the International community regardless of the circumstances, since it is the only just and fair way to solve the Arab-Israeli conflict.
In this respect comes the decision at the Armed Forces Commander General Micheal Sleiman in keeping up the will of the resistance by using force to those who try to disturb the peace and those who bet on changing the situation under various slogans. This is aided by the readiness to give more sacrifice in facing up to the Israeli enemy in various forms and means available to protect the integrity, co-existence, and the independence of the nation for its people.
On the sixtieth memory of independence, the army walk on the path of honor, sacrifice and loyalty, with a solid will, with a deep faith, loyal to its value and principles, rising the torch of giving that never turn off, preserving the independence, the heritage and sacrifices of its people.
The challenge is big, but oath is bigger, the army will remain in citizens’ conscience, a light that will always face all kind of dangers, shining with hope and prosperity.