Lebanese soldiers pose in front of their vehicle in Kfar Shuba, southern Lebanon, on Aug. 26, 2023. (Credit: Mohammad Yassin/L'Orient-Le Jour)
"It's for the love of the country! If it were for the money, I wouldn't do this job," said Karim*, a 21-year-old cadet, emerging from a ceremony Thursday in front of the Fayadieh Military School on the occasion of the Lebanese Army's 80th anniversary.The army, which is struggling to recover from six years of crises marked by drastic salary cuts that have forced many soldiers to take second jobs or even desert the ranks, must now confront significant security challenges following the latest Hezbollah war with Israel. Deployment south of the Litani, at the borders with Syria and Israel, around the Palestinian camps, and in law enforcement missions—which have been its responsibility since a 1991 presidential decree — are the main tasks the army must handle, according to retired General Khalil Helou. More about the...
"It's for the love of the country! If it were for the money, I wouldn't do this job," said Karim*, a 21-year-old cadet, emerging from a ceremony Thursday in front of the Fayadieh Military School on the occasion of the Lebanese Army's 80th anniversary.The army, which is struggling to recover from six years of crises marked by drastic salary cuts that have forced many soldiers to take second jobs or even desert the ranks, must now confront significant security challenges following the latest Hezbollah war with Israel. Deployment south of the Litani, at the borders with Syria and Israel, around the Palestinian camps, and in law enforcement missions—which have been its responsibility since a 1991 presidential decree — are the main tasks the army must handle, according to retired General Khalil Helou. More about...
