Nawaf Salam: Lebanese have no choice but one army, one flag, and one state - Sarmad
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, accompanied by Defense Minister Michel Mousa, arrived at the Southern Litani Sector Command in the city of Sidon, where he affirmed that the deployment of the army in the south represents the state’s presence and its restoration of sovereignty.
Speaking to military personnel, Salam stated that their presence in the south “is not merely a military deployment,” adding that every site where the army is deployed is a site where the state regains its prestige, and that raising the Lebanese flag above these positions serves as a symbol of its legitimacy.
The Prime Minister emphasized that his government is working to ensure that southern Lebanon, like all other regions, comes under the authority of a single state, and that constitutional institutions reclaim their authority over war and peace. He called for providing security and stability for citizens through an army that protects them.
Salam added that the strength of the military institution is not limited to weapons, equipment, and manpower, but also rests on its unity. He regarded the army as an institution that unites Lebanese people “as sons of one homeland, not as members of sects and regions.” He said, “Lebanese people today have no choice but to have one army, one flag, and one state.”
He confirmed that the government continues to mobilize Arab and international support to enhance the army’s human capabilities, modernize its equipment, and improve the living and social conditions of its soldiers. He urged members of the institution not to allow political differences or sectarian divisions to infiltrate their ranks.
Salam pointed out that the state’s return to the south is not complete with military deployment alone; it requires the reactivation of services and institutions, including schools, hospitals, roads, electricity, water, administration, and the judiciary, alongside providing job opportunities and launching reconstruction projects.
Salam also affirmed that the government would spare no effort to achieve the complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territories and the return of prisoners to their cities and villages. He stressed that supporting the army and enhancing its capabilities represents a fundamental strategic choice in the project of restoring the state.
For his part, Defense Minister Michel Mousa reaffirmed Lebanon’s commitment to reclaiming its sovereignty over all its territories, considering negotiations as “the best solution to exit this tunnel.” He said that the Lebanese army has proven its ability to carry out assigned tasks with precision, and pledged to the people of the south to continue working for their return to their land “with heads held high.”
