Lebanese president rejects US accusations of army negligence south of litany

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has rejected accusations from members of the US Senate claiming that the Lebanese Army has “failed to carry out its duties south of the Litani River”, saying that these claims “have no basis in fact”.

His remarks came during a meeting in Beirut with the French presidential envoy, former minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, according to a statement from the Lebanese presidency.

The comments were issued in response to objections raised by several US senators, including Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, following a Lebanese Army statement that described Israel as the enemy, as well as incidents involving gunfire directed at members of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

In a post on X, Graham said: “It is clear that the Lebanese Chief Head of Defense — because of a reference to Israel as the enemy and his weak almost non-existent effort to disarm Hezbollah — is a giant setback for efforts to move Lebanon forward.”

In reply, President Aoun stressed that “the army, since its deployment a year ago, has fully carried out its mission in all the areas where it has been stationed. He noted that the army has lost 12 soldiers in the line of duty, as defined by the army command.”

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