Order of the Day on the 75th Independence Day
Fellow troops
We are celebrating on this day the diamond jubilee of our independence day with all the lessons and morals that we may draw from this glorious memory, particularly since Lebanon’s steadfastness in the face of storms and adversities throughout a long part of its history proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that the dawn of independence on the 22nd of November 1943 was not a mere intersection of convenient regional and international circumstances; It is in its core the outgrowth of the Lebanese people’s fight against occupations and foreign mandates as well as their firm belief in this country and their tireless endeavour to reach a integrated national identity that is unique in its leading cultural and civilized model. Moreover, your Armed Forces, which have emerged from the womb of this independence, have demonstrated right through their journey up until this day that they are well fit to safeguard this trust since they willingly offered endless numbers of martyrs and injured troops at the altar of the country for the sake of defending its unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Fellow troops
History is a series of stages and some of these stages are in themselves a whole history. You have been writing with the blood of sacrifice bright pages in the history of modern Lebanon. You have been committed in your persistence and preparedness at the southern border in this time of serious changes and grave international conflicts to thwart the schemes of the Israeli enemy and brave its threats. You have confronted its attempts to lay its hands on our land and oil riches. I urge you to carry on in this journey armed with your sacred right to protect the land and the people in close coordination and cooperation with the UNFIL with the aim of implementing Security Council resolution 1701 in all its clauses. This commitment will strengthen your steadfastness and your capability to confront this enemy and expose its aggressive intentions in front of the whole world. I am well aware that you are eager to liberate Shebaa farms and the hills of Kfarshouba to continue your deployment in these areas as well as your deployment in the northern part of the occupied Ghajar town.
The other side of your sacrifices is summed up by your combat against terrorism which you have repelled from your land. You are now deployed at the northern and eastern border to secure this stretch of Lebanese land against any infiltration attempts made by terror groups and to prevent smuggling operations and illegal entry.
Be confident in knowing that the internal stability we are enjoying is the direct result of your continuous and tireless efforts exerted in terms of tracking down terror cells and dismantling them by launching proactive operations.
There will be no safe haven for troublemakers and the Armed Forces are determined to hunt them down and to protect the citizens against their wrongdoings and from the plague of drugs that is threatening our community.
Fellow troops
The ambiguous situation that is engulfing the whole region in light of the serious prospective transformations will undoubtedly have repercussions over our country, not to mention the critical circumstances that Lebanon is currently witnessing. These factors make it inevitable to remain at the highest level of preparedness to counter the challenges of this stage in all its forms and shapes. Your steadfast pledge to perform your missions in a sense of competence, devotion and commitment turns you into a crossing bridge that enables the country to come across towards a promising stage where all State institutions perform their natural role and the process of reconstruction is set in motion on all the levels.
Just as the Cedar comes in the centre of the Lebanese flag, your Armed Forces conquer the heart of the nation and therefore I urge you to be the pulse of hope in the country’s veins. Remain firm in your determination, steadfast in your heroism, strong thanks to the people’s trust, proud in the legacy of your martyrs to prove once again that you are the country’s solid fence, and the loyal defenders of independence.
Yarzeh on 21/11/2018
Armed Forces Commander
General Joseph Aoun
