Aoun: Strength not in waging war but in having courage to end it
The path of negotiation is "the least costly for the country, especially since wars throughout history have ended with a victor and a vanquished, or with negotiations to resolve the conflict," President Joseph Aoun said on Tuesday.
"This is the case for a number of Arab countries that have adopted the negotiation option, as is the case in the current war between the United States and Iran, and other wars," Aoun argued.
He added: "Lebanon has lost more than 3,000 martyrs, more than a million displaced persons, and thousands of homes destroyed, and there is no end in sight to this situation. Therefore, it was incumbent upon me, as President of the Republic, to do what my conscience and duty to my country and my people dictate."
Noting that "it is the duty of the state to care for its citizens and not stand idly by" in the face of the Israeli war, Aoun emphasized that "there is no other option but negotiation."
"It should not be considered surrender, a concession or defeat, because strength does not lie in waging war, but rather in having the courage and wisdom to end it through negotiation for the benefit of one's country, which remains paramount above all else," the president went on to say.
Source: Naharnet
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