Joseph Aoun

Newly-appointed Army Commander General Joseph Aoun on Thursday pledged to boost the military’s capabilities and to do everything in his capacity so that the army remains “the certain guarantee for Lebanon’s unity, sovereignty, independence and dignity. I will employ all my efforts, expertise and knowledge to continue what you started in terms of boosting the military institution’s capabilities in personnel, equipment, arming and training to maintain its readiness, under any circumstances, to defend Lebanon in the face of its enemies, topped by the Israeli enemy on the southern border and terrorism and its cells on the eastern border and in any region of the country”, Aoun told his predecessor, General Jean Qahwaji, during a handover ceremony in Yarze. Aoun also vowed to “exert utmost efforts and employ all possible means in order to liberate the troops that are being held captive by the terrorist groups (Islamic State)”.