jordan pulse -

Lebanese President General Joseph Aoun considered that "treason is committed by those who take their country to war to achieve external interests," emphasizing that the state's actions are "not treason" but an effort to end the state of war. Aoun said, in statements reported by the National News Agency on Monday, that Lebanon informed the American side that "a ceasefire is a necessary first step for any subsequent negotiations." He pointed out that this position was repeated in the two meetings held at the ambassadorial level on April 14 and 23. He added that this direction was "clearly" stated in the US State Department's statement after the first session, particularly in the third paragraph, which stipulated that "Israel will not conduct any offensive military operations against Lebanese targets, including civilian and military targets and other state targets on Lebanese territory by land, sea, and air."
Aoun stressed that "this is the official position of the Lebanese state, whether in Lebanon or in Washington, and we are not concerned with any other talk, and there is no official Lebanese coverage for it." In response to critics of the negotiation option, he said: "Some hold us accountable for taking the decision to go to negotiations under the pretext of a lack of national consensus, and I ask: when you went to war, did you first have national consensus?" He noted that criticisms and "accusations of treason" began before the start of negotiations, adding: "It is claimed that we are going to negotiations surrendering, and we say to those: wait for the negotiations to begin and judge the result." Aoun wondered: "How long will the people of the South continue to pay the price of others' wars on our land, the latest of which is the war to support Gaza and the war to support Iran?" He emphasized that "if the war were for Lebanon, we would have supported it, but when its goal is to achieve the interests of others, I completely reject it." He affirmed that his duty is to "bear the responsibility of the decision and lead the country on the path of salvation within the constants," noting that his goal is to "end the state of war with Israel similar to the armistice agreement," asking: "Was the armistice agreement a humiliation?"