Beirut - Environment Minister Antoine Karam on Monday said "friendly fire kills exactly as enemy fire does." Karam was commenting on the martyrdom of Air Force 1st. lt. Samer Hanna in an attack on his chopper in the southern Hezbollah stronghold of Sojud. "Does the army need memorandum of understanding so that its soldiers wouldn't get killed?" Karam asked in an apparent criticism of the memorandum of understanding between Hezbollah and Michel Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement. "Does it mean that those who did not sign a memorandum of understanding are subject to getting killed anywhere?" Karam added. He said "the problem is that weapons are not strictly in the hands of the legal forces."| The problem is that weapons are not strictly in the hands of the legal forces. |
Yesterday defense minister Elias Murr was quoted as saying the helicopter was less than 1 foot from the ground when subjected to the shooting . But observers that spoke to Ya Libnan ridiculed the statement by the Hezbollah gunman , specially since the Lebanese flag is clearly displayed on the helicopter and the fact that the plane was within a very close range from the gunman... Add to that the fact the Hanna was shot in the head and in his chest from within a very close range.