Lahoud: Syria helped us in liberate the lands, build the national army

The Lebanese President Emile Lahoud has commended Syria's support in rebuilding the Lebanese army on national foundations.

During his meeting on Tuesday with a delegation representing the journalists Union led by Mulhim Karam, President Lahoud said that Lebanon has not got support from the USA nor from France to rebuilding its army, adding that " only Syria stood beside us and backed our national army, so as we were able to establish security in our country and liberating most of our territories from the Israeli occupation."

He continued: " we heard a lot on the need of the withdrawal of the Syrian forces after the Israeli forces from Lebanon. And this is very wrong. The Israeli occupation occupied our lands and we expelled it by means of force, while the Syrian army entered to Lebanon at our own request to help us and stood beside us in the battle of liberation."