The Daily Star BEIRUT: Lebanon’s top brass gathered at the Shukri Ghanem Barracks in Fayyadieh Wednesday morning to celebrate the Lebanese Army’s 73rd anniversary, at a ceremony where a new class of officers graduated. Army chief Gen. Joseph Aoun led the proceedings, which were attended by President Michel Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri. At the event, President Aoun issued the graduating class of officers their sabers. He announced that the class will be named the class of “Fajr al-Joroud,” referring to the operation roughly a year ago that saw militants pushed out of Lebanon’s northeastern outskirts. The militants, including Daesh (ISIS) and Jabhat Fatah al-Sham – formerly known as the Nusra Front – had been holed up in the rugged area since briefly overrunning the northeastern border town of Arsal in 2014. During a speech, the president praised the Army as the country’s most stable bulwark. “In times of war, the Army defends the borders, preserves the land, restores dignity and sovereignty and repairs the holes in the wall of national unity and coexistence,” he said. “In times of peace, the Army has to shoulder the responsibility of preserving security, the gains of stability as well as the aspirations of the Lebanese citizens.” The president went on to call for continued cooperation with the United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon to protect the country. “Your role is always paramount in protecting our south from Israel’s covetousness,” he said.

The president also commended the Army for “safeguarding Lebanon’s commitments, including the implementation of [United Nations Security Council] Resolution 1701, while Israel continues to violate this resolution and still occupies part of our territories.” Hariri weighed-in on the festivities on Twitter, saying, “On this day and every day, we commemorate our military martyrs and the sacrifices of every individual in our armed forces so that Lebanon may remain free and sovereign.” Later in the day, the Army chief visited the president at Baabda Palace with a military delegation. He thanked the president, who himself had formerly headed the Army, for his unwavering support. “We promise you that we will continue to carry out the required operations … until the ship that you lead arrives at the safe shore,” the Army commander said in remarks to the president. The Army was founded on Aug. 1, 1945, under the command of former President Gen. Fouad Chehab, two years after the country gained independence from France. A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Daily Star on August 02, 2018, on page 2.