Lebanon’s Prime Minister Saad Hariri called Monday on the country’s security forces to act decisively with the appearances of armed elements in southern Lebanon, asserting that this behavior is bad for the state.
“The appearance of armed elements is bad for the state, and the security forces must act decisively in this matter, and anyone who raises his weapon must pay the price. We are not in a "banana republic". We are a state and whoever violates the law must pay for it.” Hariri said during his participation in the election of the President and the bureau of the Economic and Social Council of Lebanon.
The Prime Minister’s comments came as a response to the tour conducted in southern Lebanon by leader of the Iraqi paramilitary group Asaib Ahl al-Haq, Qais al-Khazali who declared his readiness “to stand together with the Lebanese people and the Palestinian cause.”
Another video spread on social media websites Sunday also showed two members from “Saraya al-Islam” in southern Lebanon. Both groups are part of Iraq’s "Hashd al-Shaabi" factions.
Sources from the Future Movement told Asharq Al-Awsat that “Hezbollah continues to embarrass Hariri,” adding that the videos are considered a “flagrant infringement” of the last government’s decision and its dissociation policy and is a violation to UNSC Resolution 1701, which Lebanon and “Hezbollah” pledged to respect.
The government is expected to convene its first session next Thursday, following last week’s ministerial decision that underlined the country’s commitment to a dissociation policy, and after Hariri withdrew his resignation.
The parliamentary sources said that Hariri’s priority is to assure a political, security and economic stability in the country, and to push other political parties to help him achieve this, instead of complicating matters.
On Monday, Hariri said his government has given the priority to reactivate the state's work with all its institutions.
