Prime Minister Saad Hariri stressed that “competitions occurring regarding the investigation into the case of the abducted soldiers are completely rejected,” noting that some are dealing with this issue in a way to cause division in the country.
Hariri said that at that time (referring the 2014 Arsal clashes), former PM Tammam Salam was making decisions aimed at protecting Lebanon despite the division between the political forces, adding that many attempts were implemented to resolve the issue of the abducted soldiers.
Following his meeting with Salam, Hariri emphasized that they will not allow strife to be incited between the Sunnis and Shiites, pointing out that they have common grounds with Hezbollah, such as preserving Lebanon’s security and stability.
“We approve lifting immunity off anyone in case of investigations when need be, including the media, that did nothing but add fuel to the fire,” he stated.
The prime minister added that the residents of Arsal were the ones who fought terrorism and suffered a lot.
In turn, former PM Tammam Salam expressed solidarity in fighting all enemies, adding that he will stand by PM Hariri. “We must preserve the country rather than scoring points against each other through popular rhetoric,” he said.
Commenting on the investigations into the case of the abducted soldiers, Salam said that “the issue is clear,” reiterating that their priority was to protect Lebanon, Arsal and its residents.