Lebanon is slowly moving forward in implementing its plan to impose state monopoly over arms despite Hezbollah’s minimal cooperation and continued escalatory stances.
Authorities in the country believe the mission won’t be simple, but it is not impossible, said ministerial sources.
The government discussed on Monday the army’s first report on its efforts to impose state monopoly and has kept its decisions related to it confidential.
The sources revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat however that President Joseph Aoun is a “satisfied” with the efforts.
He received former Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt and MP Taymour Jumblatt at the presidential palace on Tuesday.
Following the talks, the former said he was “reassured about the progress despite the criticism against the army... the military is carrying out massive efforts in the South.”
No cooperation and no confrontation
The sources said Walid Jumblatt’s sentiments reflect Aoun’s. They acknowledged persistent obstacles, namely Israel’s continued occupation of some Lebanese territories and its daily violations, as well as Hezbollah’s minimal cooperation with the military.
They explained that the army is dismantling Hezbollah’s arsenal in areas south of the Litani River, but the Iran-backed party is not cooperating the way it should with it, in that it is not disclosing the location of its military facilities, tunnels and weapons caches.
“Hezbollah is not resisting or confronting the army’s work,” they stated.
The sources noted, however, that some residents of the South have been informing the military of the location of some caches.
As for tunnels, the army, should it find any, has been sealing rather than destroying them, citing an incident in August when six soldiers were killed during an explosion while they were removing ammunition from a Hezbollah facility.
Hezbollah in crisis
Hezbollah’s refusal to cooperate with the army and lay down its weapons is in violation of the ceasefire agreement that was reached in November and that it agreed to. Its officials continue to escalate their rhetoric and defy the ceasefire and government decision to impose state monopoly over arms.
MP Ashraf Rifi, a fierce Hezbollah critic, said these positions “reflect the crisis the party is going through in that its officials are unable to tell the truth to their supporters.”
He told Asharq Al-Awsat: “All signs indicate that Iran’s role in the region is ending, but Hezbollah is facing a main obstacle that is its leadership’s inability to come clean with the truth with their supporters.”
“The party continues to make escalatory statements because it fears an adverse reaction from its supporters who may turn on it, especially with all the destruction and losses caused by Israel’s latest war on Lebanon,” he remarked.
Rifi said the state’s efforts to impose monopoly over weapons “are on the right path,” wishing that it would pick up the pace to ease the pressure off Lebanon.
The Kataeb party welcomed the military’s progress in implementing the disarmament plan, echoing Rifi’s call that it should speed up its work throughout the country.
It also called on the international community to pressure Israel to cease its violations against Lebanon.
Commenting on Hezbollah’s refusal to lay down weapons in regions north of the Litani, the Kataeb said: “The party’s abandoning of its arms in the South reflects its intention to avoid a fight with Israel, so, what use are the weapons for in areas north of the Litani?”
“Are they keeping the weapons so that they would continue to have power over the Lebanese people and defy the state and legitimacy?” it asked.
On Monday, Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah declared that the party was “not concerned” with the government’s plan to limit possession of weapons to the state.
He said Hezbollah is a resistance movement and continues to be so given Israel’s occupation of Lebanese territories.
