BEIRUT: U.S Ambassador David Hale said Monday the Lebanese Army and state security bodies were the only legitimate protectors of Lebanon against extremism.

Speaking during a ceremony to mark America’s 239th year of independence, Hale urged the Lebanese to remain committed to their state institutions, “which are so much stronger than the false ideology of extremism,” and to stand by their Army and security services.

“Those institutions, after all, alone have the legitimate role of defending the state and its borders, and are accountable to all the Lebanese people,” Hale said.

The ambassador added that extremist groups from across the border in Syria seek to sow seeds of hate, divide the Lebanese people, and destroy shared values of mutual respect and understanding.

(Link)