logo
Hezbollah supporters rally against Lebanon disarmament plan

Hezbollah supporters rally against Lebanon disarmament plan

Shafaq News18 hours ago
Shafaq News – Beirut
Supporters of Lebanon's Hezbollah staged fresh marches on Sunday in Beirut's southern suburbs, protesting the government's decision to restrict all weapons to state control.
Lebanese media said the demonstrations came in response to a Cabinet resolution passed on August 7 that includes Hezbollah in the disarmament plan and tasks the Lebanese Army with drafting and implementing a nationwide arms-control strategy by the end of 2025.
The army deployed across the entrances to the suburbs and on Beirut streets as a precaution. Yesterday, it warned against Hezbollah supporters' protests, urging citizens to avoid actions that could endanger national security through 'unpredictable consequences.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Editor Of Saudi Government Daily: Hizbullah Must Be Disarmed, Willingly Or By Force
Editor Of Saudi Government Daily: Hizbullah Must Be Disarmed, Willingly Or By Force

Memri

time30 minutes ago

  • Memri

Editor Of Saudi Government Daily: Hizbullah Must Be Disarmed, Willingly Or By Force

In a recent article, Khalid Bin Hamad Al-Malik, editor of the Saudi daily Al-Jazirah, harshly criticizes the Hizbullah and Amal organizations for opposing Lebanon's decision to disarm Hizbullah, and argues that if this organization refuses to surrender its weapons willingly, it must be divested of them by force. Hizbullah, he says, has caused the death and wounding of thousands of Lebanese, as well as extensive destruction in the country, and has committed terror against civilians. Moreover, it serves a foreign (i.e., Iranian) agenda, and torpedoes every reform aimed at rebuilding Lebanon, wanting to keep it backward, unstable and under its control. Therefore, Al-Malik argues, allowing Hizbullah to continue its policies and retain its weapons, which are directed mainly against rivals at home, is "an unforgivable crime." Khaled Bin Hamad Al-Malik (Image: The following are translated excerpts from his article:[1] "Hizbullah Secretary-General Na'im Qassem admits that 5,000 Lebanese have been killed and 13,000 have been wounded, although he neglected to mention the considerable damage to property, the loss of [Hizbullah's former] leader and much of its weapons, the destruction throughout Lebanon, and Israel's occupation of five areas in the south. And the losses may be greater than Na'im Qassem announced. The Lebanese state was supposed to openly declare the actual scope of the losses, and Hizbullah was supposed to comply with the Lebanese consensus and surrender its arms to the military, thus ending [the situation] whereby it possesses weapons to intimidate the Lebanese and threaten their lives. "But Hizbullah refuses to disarm or to set out a timetable for disarmament. It continues to insist that the army is incapable of defending Lebanon against Israel's attacks, yet it retains its weapons without using them against Israel. [Instead], it tolerates the strikes of the Israeli army against its people and strongholds, and does not retaliate. "The Hizbullah and Amal representatives walked out of the cabinet meeting two days ago, headed by Lebanese President [Joseph] Aoun, when [they realized that] the intension was to set out a timetable requiring Hizbullah to surrender its arms by the end of the year. This proves that the [Shi'ite] Hizbullah–Amal axis has no intention of [complying with the demand] to confine the weapons to the state and disarm all the [Lebanese] organizations. [This axis means to] leave Lebanon occupied and at Israel's mercy, without security or stability. "Ahead of the cabinet meeting Hizbullah's secretary-general stressed that the weapons would not be handed over, and threatened that the war between Lebanon and Israel would turn into a war among Lebanese, i.e., between Hizbullah and the Lebanese. This means that he wants Lebanon to remain a backward state, with Israel, Hizbullah and Amal controlling of all its resources. More than that: one day before the cabinet meeting, Hizbullah organized protests against its disarmament, and threatened to organize another protest after the meeting, which forced the army and security forces to deploy in order to prevent clashes between citizens… "I ask: What did Hizbullah wish [to accomplish] by plotting against Lebanon's unity and dragging it into wars that destroyed it, ruined its economy and growth and left it without income from tourism?... [Another] question: Do the organization's leaders not know that, by plotting against Lebanon, they obstruct its recovery, deprive it of Gulf and international aid, and provide Israel with an excuse to continue attacking it and occupying territory in the south?... "I have [yet another] question: Who is responsible for the death of 5,000 Lebanese and the wounding of 13,000 others, if not Hizbullah? Who is responsible for terror against civilians, if not this organization? Who has thwarted Lebanon's development and spread anarchy within it? Is there anyone to blame, except for Hizbullah, which implements a foreign [i.e., Iranian] agenda and conspires against the state on foreign orders? "Finally, I ask: When will Hizbullah realize, after decades of foiling every attempt at reform… that its policy and its weapons, which are directed against the Lebanese, are an unforgivable crime, and that its [tendency to] embroil Lebanon in wars with Israel is the reason [this country] is weak, wretched and succumbs to Hizbullah's decisions to destroy it? "[I address] Na'im Qassem and his helpers in Hizbullah, as well as Nabih Berri and his helpers in the Amal movement – the two Shi'ite [forces] that destroyed and are still destroying Lebanon, toyed with the interests of the state and thwarted the repair of what they have ruined in the country. Remember that things have changed in Lebanon. The situation is not as it was in the past, and if you do not hand over your weapons willingly, you will be divested of them by force and coercion."

Iraq's Al-Sudani with Iranian Security Chief: Security memorandum sealed
Iraq's Al-Sudani with Iranian Security Chief: Security memorandum sealed

Shafaq News

time3 hours ago

  • Shafaq News

Iraq's Al-Sudani with Iranian Security Chief: Security memorandum sealed

Shafaq News – Baghdad Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani met on Monday with Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, overseeing a new security memorandum on border coordination. According to a statement from al-Sudani's media office, the prime minister reaffirmed Iraq's commitment to strengthening relations with Iran and advancing joint partnerships 'in a manner that serves the interests of both the Iraqi and Iranian peoples.' He reiterated Iraq's firm stance in rejecting 'Zionist [Israeli] aggression' against Iran and any actions that could escalate regional or international conflicts, while expressing support for dialogue between Washington and Tehran. Larijani, for his part, conveyed the greetings of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and affirmed his government's determination to foster cooperation in various fields. He highlighted plans to establish a passenger railway connection between the two countries, linking it to Iraq's planned Development Road and major transport corridors emerging in the region. The meeting resulted in the signing of a memorandum of understanding by Iraq's National Security Adviser and Larijani to enhance security coordination along the countries' shared border. Earlier today, Larijani arrived in Baghdad for a two-day official visit. According to Iran's official news agency IRNA, he will consult with Iraq's three presidencies, State of Law Coalition Leader Nouri Al-Maliki, and other political figures. Plans also include a possible meeting with the country's leading Shia cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.

Corruption and Baath ties endanger 75 Iraqi candidates
Corruption and Baath ties endanger 75 Iraqi candidates

Shafaq News

time3 hours ago

  • Shafaq News

Corruption and Baath ties endanger 75 Iraqi candidates

Shafaq News – Baghdad (Updated at 16:02) Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) is preparing to issue a new list of disqualified candidates from the upcoming elections, an MP revealed on Monday. In remarks to Shafaq News Agency, MP Raed al-Maamouri clarified that more than 75 candidates will be excluded due to their affiliation with the Baath Party and their inclusion under the Accountability and Justice procedures. He explained that additional lists will be issued later to disqualify candidates on grounds related to dishonorable conduct, financial corruption, and administrative misconduct. Al-Maamouri stated that the "good conduct and reputation" clause in the electoral law, if applied in previous sessions, would have prevented certain individuals from reaching Parliament, adding that any person covered by the General Amnesty Law will also be excluded from participating in the elections. Later, IHEC spokesperson Jumana al-Ghalai told our agency that 65 candidates have already been barred from running under Article 7/Third of the amended Parliamentary, Provincial and District Councils Elections Law No. 12 of 2018, which requires candidates to have good conduct and no final conviction for felonies or misdemeanors involving moral turpitude—including administrative or financial corruption—regardless of amnesty. The decision, she clarified, followed verification by the Interior Ministry, noting that appeals can be lodged within three days and judicial rulings are final. The IHEC had earlier decided to disqualify a group of candidates for Iraq's parliamentary elections scheduled for November 2025. Official documents regarding the disqualifications showed that the decision followed verification of criminal records involving charges of murder, bribery, forgery, fraud, and cases of financial and administrative corruption.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store