PM: Lebanese army alone responsible for protecting country's borders

BEIRUT, March 28 (KUNA) -- Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam affirmed on Friday that the Lebanese army alone is responsible for protecting the country's borders, and the Lebanese state is the sole authority to decide on war and peace.
In a statement, Salam said that Lebanon is "fully committed" to implementing Resolution 1701 and the cessation of hostilities arrangements, stressing that the Lebanese state is the sole authority to decide on war and peace.
Salam had made a series of calls to Arab and international officials to exert maximum pressure on the Israeli occupation forces to halt their "repeated attacks" on Lebanon and its sovereignty, warning against renewed military operations on Lebanon's southern border, the statement added.
The statement said that Salam contacted Lebanese Army Commander General Rodolphe Heikal to learn about the situation in the south, asking him to move quickly to conduct the necessary investigations to uncover the parties behind the "irresponsible launch of rockets that threaten Lebanon's security and stability." The Lebanese Prime Minister stressed the need to expedite the measures taken by the Lebanese Army to restrict the possession of weapons to the state. (end) fz.aa