Aoun: South Won't Remain a 'Forgotten Region' or 'Bargaining Chip'

Marking the 48th anniversary of the disappearance of Shiite cleric Imam Moussa al-Sadr, President Joseph Aoun said he refuses to let the South become a 'forgotten region' or a bargaining chip, and that only state-controlled weapons should legitimately protect Lebanese territory. Aoun said he is 'working to achieve what the disappeared imam wanted: a strong and just state and a South protected by its army, its security forces, and the resilience of its people and the state combined,' and pledged continued efforts to uncover the truth about al-Sadr's fate.