Minister of National Defense, Maurice Selim, expressed his “pain for the tragedy that resulted from the sinking of the boat carrying Lebanese and non-Lebanese passengers who tried to leave Lebanon’s territorial waters illegally on board the boat,” offering his sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wishing a speedy recovery to the injured and salvation for those who are still missing.
He stressed in a statement that “the difficult circumstances that prompted the boat’s passengers to leave Lebanon illegally, are suffered by most of the Lebanese as a result of the successive crises that afflicted Lebanon, and the government is trying to address these repercussions.” However, he deemed that such circumstances ought not push citizens to fall victim to traders and smugglers who blackmail them and tempt them into dangerous adventures that have no guaranteed outcome, such as last night’s tragic incident in Tripoli.
Minister Selim also asserted that the extent of anger as a result of the tragedy cannot be expressed by attacking the military establishment, whose men performed their duty to persuade the passengers of the boat not to complete their way and return to the shore.
He emphasized herein that “the transparent investigation carried out by the army command and the competent military and judicial bodies will help to reveal the complete truth, which we are fully keen on so as to put matters into perspective, determine responsibilities and block any exploitation of the blood of the victims and the fate of the missing and the sufferings of their relatives and families.”
The Defense Minister affirmed that “the grief experienced by the northern region, with its capital, Tripoli, and the villages and towns of the victims’ families, is the grief of all Lebanese in all parts of the country, and it requires great awareness to confront what happened in a way that preserves stability and security and does not cause any imbalance.”
Minister Selim was briefed earlier by the Army Commander, General Joseph Aoun, on the details of what happened off the Tripoli shore, and the circumstances that accompanied the sinking of the boat, whereby he requested a thorough and detailed investigation into the regretful incident.
Source: National News Agency