Intermediaries have explored the possibility of transferring strategic weapons held by Lebanon’s Hezbollah to a "trusted" party in Iraq although Washington rejected the proposal, Lebanese and Iraqi sources said.
Logistical Dilemmas
Hezbollah faces logistical dilemmas that prevent it from using its arms, in addition to the risk of the weapons becoming “scrap metal if stored for too long.”
There is also a political-ideological challenge for not receiving an Iranian green light allowing to resolve the weapons dilemma, according to sources.
The sources quoted US officials as saying that Washington encourages the integration of Hezbollah members into political life and that the problem of weapons lies in the “method” to deliver them.
Despite its dilemma, the party considers itself a “victor” and Secretary-General Naim Qassem says Hezbollah will not give up its weapons.
A person who Asharq Al-Awsat met in Beirut’s southern suburbs, and who only wanted to be identified as al-Sheikh, said the party had limited choices and it feared to be exposed to score-settling by various parties if disarmed.
‘Unity of Arms’ to Protect it
According to Iraqi sources, Iran has called on its allies in the region to adopt the principle of “unity of arms” to protect the weapons by all available means.
An Iraqi source told Asharq Al-Awsat that “Lebanese and Iraqi personalities discussed a proposal in Baghdad to hand over Hezbollah’s weapons to a Shiite guarantor party capable of negotiating with the Americans.”
“Disposing of strategic weapons or what’s left of them requires a fatwa,” the Iraqi source added.
According to the sources, the proposal would “spare the Lebanese army from potential friction with Hezbollah.”
Al-Sheikh told Asharq Al-Awsat that “the method of handing over the weapons is a crucial matter for Hezbollah due to internal fears of rebellious movements that could produce even more extremist militias.”
An Iraqi official, who spoke with the newspaper, did not confirm the information regarding the transfer of weapons but noted that during the weeks when Lebanese figures arrived in Baghdad to meet with leaders of Iraqi factions, Washington delivered a firm message through diplomatic channels stating that "the US administration is determined to disarm all parallel entities in states that had been aligned with the Iranian axis, including Iraqi groups."
“The Americans want concrete steps on disarmament before anything else,” the Iraqi official added.
