The President of the Republic, General Joseph Aoun, congratulated the leadership, officers and individuals of the Internal Security Forces on the occasion of the anniversary of the founding of the security forces, noting the role that these forces play with the other military and security forces in carrying a heavy and honorable responsibility: the responsibility of protecting the citizen, preserving the homeland, and consolidating the rule of law. President Aoun said: “The men of the security forces have proven, in the darkest and most stressful circumstances, that they, along with their military comrades, are an impenetrable fence standing between the Lebanese and chaos, and between the nation and collapse. They endured what many could not endure, and they stood firm where steadfastness was a rare virtue, and they continued to perform their duty when the country was in dire need of their loyalty and dedication. The President of the Republic saluted the souls of the martyrs who fell in the fields of honor and duty, considering that their pure blood was fertilizer for the state tree, and an eternal imprint on Lebanon’s memory. President Aoun said: “The state we seek is a state in which the rule of law prevails, in which mini-states do not exist, in which the rights of the citizen are respected, and in which the Internal Security Forces are his fortified shield and safe haven. Therefore, I call on the men of the security forces to continue their journey in the same spirit for which they are known: the spirit of sacrifice, loyalty, and belonging to the homeland above all else.