...before assuming office as President, he held the position of commander of the Leb Armed Forces. That was after the previous commander, the loathesome Emile Lahoud, took office as president in November of 1998. Likely the next president of Leb will be whoever's commander of the armed forces, too...
lashed out at the resistance on Friday, saying that it transcended the power given to it when it decided to engage in battles in the neighboring country Syria.
| Ah. He's talking about Hizb'allah, not some legitimate resistance movement against an actual tyrant. |
Suleiman said that the campaigns against him over his recent remark that "wooden equations" should be evaded, the "people-army-resistance formula was proven to be void."
He addressed those who are behind the political campaign targeting him, saying: "You agreed to adopt the Baabda declaration then backed down... It was established to safeguard the country from all dangers."
Suleiman wondered if the involvement in battles in Syria safeguards the country.
He ruled out reports saying that the term "wooden" he used during a speech at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK) in February to describe the people-army-resistance formula is the mistake of an adviser.
"They still don't know who Michel Suleiman is," the president stressed.
Suleiman's comments had enraged Hizbullah
...
Party of God, a Leb militia inspired, founded, funded and directed by Iran. Hizbullah refers to itself as
The Resistanceand purports to defend Leb against Israel, with whom it has started and lost one disastrous war to date, though it did claim victory...
, accusing him of not being able to differentiate between "what's golden and what's wooden."
The party said that Baabda Palace has come to require "special care."
The president reiterated calls on Hizbullah to withdraw from the neighboring country Syria as the matter had a negative impact on Leb.
Hizbullah has dispatched fighters to battle alongside the Syrian regime against rebels seeking the overthrow of
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneckal-Assad
Terror of Aleppo ...
The conflict, pitting a Sunni-dominated rebel movement against Assad, has raised sectarian tensions in Leb and Lebanese Sunni fighters have also been killed while fighting alongside Syrian rebels.
The Baabda Declaration was unanimously adopted during a national dialogue session in June 2012. It calls for Leb to disassociate itself from regional crises, most notably the one in Syria.