"Aoun΄s Proposal on National Defense Strategy Catastrophic"!!
Source: Al-Manar TV, 6-11-2008
While the one and only "achievement" of the Lebanese national dialogue's second session, which was held on Wednesday at the Baabda Presidential palace under the auspices of President Michel Suleiman, seemed to be its postponement for another forty-seven days, the issue of the country's defensive strategy returned to the light and discussions over the issue were re-launched between the rival political factions.
On Wednesday, the head of the Reform and Change parliamentary bloc MP Michel Aoun proposed his own vision of the defense strategy and submitted copies of it to the participants in the dialogue conference. The contents of the paper remained shrouded in secrecy, but according to Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar, Aoun's blueprint focuses on two main headlines: collective resistance and defining threats that the Lebanese should be ready to confront.
According to the daily, Aoun's blueprint states that collective resistance means that the defense strategy should be a "bastion" at the economic, political, military and educational levels. It also notes that the defense strategy is "not only related to the topic of resistance, but also includes all issues that should be settled to launch state of construction and reform."
The only threat to Lebanon, according to Aoun's blueprint, is the "external threat," Al-Akhbar said, noting that it specifically mentioned "Israeli" aggressions and the "Palestinian topic manipulated by external sides targeting Lebanon's security."
Al-Akhbar quoted a source who had participated in the Conference on National Dialogue as saying Aoun's blueprint "did not mention Hizbullah weapons as such, but it called for resistance-army integration."
Meanwhile, Aoun refused to enter into details of his blueprint, declaring that it's now with the hands of the President. Speaking to Lebanese daily An-Nahar, General Aoun said the general climate of the dialogue session was good and calm, adding that there was fruitful and useful exchange of ideas between the interlocutors.
However, a source belonging to the so-called March 14 forces told An-Nahar that Aoun's blueprint was "catastrophic," in an apparent reference to rejecting it by the majority alliance. The proposal submitted by Aoun was seemingly based on the principles embodied by the Memorandum of Understanding between the Free Patriotic Movement and Hizbullah, according to the source.
In contrast, an opposition source stressed that Aoun's proposal was "well-balanced and deserves to be examined," An-Nahar also reported, adding that the head of the Democratic Gathering MP Walid Jumblatt reportedly proposed that each of the March 8 and March 14 coalitions submit a unified vision of the defense strategy, following which a joint proposal derived of these two papers can be discussed.
While the one and only "achievement" of the Lebanese national dialogue's second session, which was held on Wednesday at the Baabda Presidential palace under the auspices of President Michel Suleiman, seemed to be its postponement for another forty-seven days, the issue of the country's defensive strategy returned to the light and discussions over the issue were re-launched between the rival political factions.
On Wednesday, the head of the Reform and Change parliamentary bloc MP Michel Aoun proposed his own vision of the defense strategy and submitted copies of it to the participants in the dialogue conference. The contents of the paper remained shrouded in secrecy, but according to Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar, Aoun's blueprint focuses on two main headlines: collective resistance and defining threats that the Lebanese should be ready to confront.
According to the daily, Aoun's blueprint states that collective resistance means that the defense strategy should be a "bastion" at the economic, political, military and educational levels. It also notes that the defense strategy is "not only related to the topic of resistance, but also includes all issues that should be settled to launch state of construction and reform."
The only threat to Lebanon, according to Aoun's blueprint, is the "external threat," Al-Akhbar said, noting that it specifically mentioned "Israeli" aggressions and the "Palestinian topic manipulated by external sides targeting Lebanon's security."
Al-Akhbar quoted a source who had participated in the Conference on National Dialogue as saying Aoun's blueprint "did not mention Hizbullah weapons as such, but it called for resistance-army integration."
Meanwhile, Aoun refused to enter into details of his blueprint, declaring that it's now with the hands of the President. Speaking to Lebanese daily An-Nahar, General Aoun said the general climate of the dialogue session was good and calm, adding that there was fruitful and useful exchange of ideas between the interlocutors.
However, a source belonging to the so-called March 14 forces told An-Nahar that Aoun's blueprint was "catastrophic," in an apparent reference to rejecting it by the majority alliance. The proposal submitted by Aoun was seemingly based on the principles embodied by the Memorandum of Understanding between the Free Patriotic Movement and Hizbullah, according to the source.
In contrast, an opposition source stressed that Aoun's proposal was "well-balanced and deserves to be examined," An-Nahar also reported, adding that the head of the Democratic Gathering MP Walid Jumblatt reportedly proposed that each of the March 8 and March 14 coalitions submit a unified vision of the defense strategy, following which a joint proposal derived of these two papers can be discussed.
