Lebanese Ministry of Information
Lebanese Army head Gen. Joseph Aoun Monday inspected the military academy in Baabda’s Fayadieh and met with new students who he told that only merit would allow them to graduate.
During the inspection, Gen. Aoun met with the head of the academy, officers and first-year students that were admitted to the academy last week, a statement from the Army said.
In a speech, the Army head told the new students their enrollment was based only on the criterion of merit and the “excellence” they displayed during the “difficult” admission tests, adding that there was “no political or non-political influence” in their success.
To graduate from the academy, he said, the cadets will need to show the same determination and excellence, he said.
The Army head’s comments come after a corruption scandal in late 2017 involving Military Academy admissions, which reportedly led to the arrest of several individuals for accepting bribes in return for attempting to facilitate admission.
Gen. Aoun also advised students to not be influenced by political affiliations. “You have chosen the military life voluntarily … It requires the utmost sacrifice, courage and heroism, so may you only belong to the institution and the homeland.”
