President says Lebanon faces ‘fateful choice’ over state authority

President says Lebanon faces ‘fateful choice’ over state authority Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said the country faces a “fateful choice” between building a state that holds a monopoly on weapons and operates under the rule of law or remaining “hostage to the logic of militias”. “We are at a moment that cannot tolerate sectarian luxury or regional polarisation,” Aoun said, adding that “national unity is an existential necessity that is built through openness, strengthened by justice, and rooted in fairness.” Free