Latest news with #armsmonopoly
The National
6 days ago
- Politics
- The National
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun pledges to disarm Hezbollah despite resistance
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun pledged on Thursday that the state would assert full control over arms nationwide 'despite the difficulties', as Hezbollah rejected a government plan to disarm the group by end of the year. Lebanese authorities are pushing ahead with a plan to disarm the group and other non-state actors and are expected to vote to officially adopt the plan on Thursday afternoon, after failing to adopt it during a turbulent meeting earlier this week. The 'arms monopoly will be achieved despite the difficulties and obstacles', Mr Aoun told Saudi news channel Al Arabiya. Tuesday's heated cabinet session ended without a vote but resulted in the announcement of a disarmament timeline, expected to conclude by the end of the year. The cabinet is set to revisit the plan and vote during Thursday's session. Mr Aoun said that authorities are waiting to 'discuss and approve' an army plan to consolidate weapons under state authority which will be discussed in the session. 'Monopolising arms in the hand of the state does not harm Lebanon's rights and sovereignty,' he said. The Iran-backed group has rejected the motion outright and said it will deal with it 'as if it does not exist'. Ministers in Hezbollah and its ally the Amal Movement staged a walkout of Tuesday's government meeting to protest the disarmament plan, with Hezbollah condemning it as a 'great sin'. In an interview with Qatar based Al Jazeera news channel on Thursday, Ghaleb Abu Zeinab, a member of the party's political council, said that the government had bypassed all the issues that had been discussed and to which the party was open to, adopting a plan that served Israel's interests under pressure from the US. Mr Abu Zeinab added that the government even bypassed Mr Aoun's proposals, and 'adopted a plan by US envoy Thomas Barrak, which clearly bears Israeli influence'. The government's adoption of Mr Barrak 's plan represents 'an attempt to help Israel achieve what it was unable to achieve through war', according to Mr Abu Zeinab, who warned 'of the seriousness of the situation and the impasse the country is heading towards due to its position, which it took under American pressure'. The cabinet's efforts to adopt a motion to bring arms under its control comes as the US exerts intense pressure on the government to commit to a timetable for Hezbollah's disarmament. The small country, which for decades has been caught in the competing tides of US and Iranian influence, finds its self caught between the two once again: pressed for time as US pressure mounts and Israel continues its daily spree of air strikes and assassinations, and Hezbollah's refusal to disarm. Tuesday's high-stakes government meeting coincided simultaneously with a forceful speech by the group's leader Naim Qassem in which he rejected disarmament. It was one of the most defiant public stances by the group – which suffered significant losses in leadership and infrastructure during its war with Israel – in months. Hezbollah has consistently rejected discussions over its arms until Israel stops its daily bombardment and withdraws from five points of Lebanese territories occupied during last year's Hezbollah-Israel war. On Wednesday, Hezbollah said the government decision weakened Lebanon's position amid Israeli and US 'threats' against the country. The announcement by the Lebanese government also evoked a strong reaction from Iran, Hezbollah's main backer. Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi said 'this is not the first time they have tried to disarm Hezbollah'. 'Now they think they can disarm Hezbollah, but the position of the Hezbollah leader showed that they stood firm and have a strong position.' Mr Aragchi said Iran supported Hezbollah's decisions, but 'would not interfere in the matter'. Hours after Hezbollah's statement on Wednesday evening, Israel launched a heavy bombing campaign against alleged weapons depots and other infrastructure belonging to the group. The Lebanese Ministry of health said one person was killed and another two injured in one of the attacks on Deir Seryan in the south of the country.
Reuters
6 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Explainer: Can Lebanon disarm Hezbollah?
Aug 6 (Reuters) - Lebanon's cabinet has told the army to draw up a plan to establish a state monopoly on arms in a challenge to the Iran-backed Shi'ite Muslim group Hezbollah, which rejects calls to disarm. Israel pummelled Hezbollah last year in a war sparked by the conflict in Gaza, killing many of its top brass and 5,000 of its fighters before a November truce brokered by the United States. That deal committed Lebanon to restricting arms to six specific state security forces, and further stipulated that it should confiscate unauthorised weapons and prevent rearmament by non-state groups. In the months since, a new Lebanese government vowed to confine arms across the country to state control, Hezbollah's main arms route was cut when its Syrian ally Bashar al-Assad was ousted in December and Israel attacked its sponsor Iran in June. The government is facing pressure from Washington and Hezbollah's domestic rivals to act swiftly amid fears that Israel could intensify air strikes on Lebanon. Despite November's ceasefire, Israel has continued to carry out strikes on what it says are Hezbollah arms depots and fighters, mostly in southern Lebanon. In June, U.S. envoy Thomas Barrack proposed a roadmap to Lebanese officials to fully disarm Hezbollah in exchange for Israel halting its strikes on Lebanon and withdrawing its troops from five points they still occupy in southern Lebanon. But Hezbollah and its main Shi'ite ally the Amal Movement, led by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, say the sequencing should be reversed, with Israel withdrawing and halting strikes before any talks on Hezbollah's arms. Washington has grown impatient, demanding the Beirut government make the first move with a formal commitment to disarm Hezbollah. After Lebanon's 15-year civil war ended in 1990 Hezbollah, founded by Iran's Revolutionary Guards in 1982, was the only group allowed to keep its weapons on the grounds that it was fighting Israel's occupation of the country's south. After Israel withdrew in 2000 the group did not give up its arms, arguing its ability to fight was still a critical element of national defence against future Israeli aggression. A ceasefire agreement after a war between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006 was backed by a U.N. resolution demanding the disarmament of all militant groups - but Hezbollah again kept its weapons, accusing Israel of having violated other parts of the truce deal, which Israel denies. Hezbollah took over parts of Beirut in fighting in 2008, underscoring its dominance. The group exercised decisive sway over state affairs in the following years as its power grew. Hezbollah has called the government's decision to ask the army to draw up plans to disarm it a "grave sin" that "fully serves Israel's interest". Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem rejected each clause in Barrack's roadmap and when he spoke on Tuesday, dozens of motorcycles with men carrying Hezbollah flags drove around the group's stronghold in Beirut's southern suburbs - a show of its enduring strength. Hovering over any attempt to force Hezbollah to disarm is the spectre of previous bouts of civil unrest, including the 2008 fighting, triggered by the government's attempt to shut down the group's military telecoms network - an important facility for the group, but still less central than its arms. Lebanon's power-sharing system apportions public sector posts - including in parliament, the cabinet and other roles - to different religious sects according to quotas. The system is meant to ensure no sect is cut out of decision making, but critics say it leads to political paralysis. Shi'ite representation in both parliament and cabinet is dominated by Hezbollah and its political ally Amal. Two Shi'ite ministers were travelling during Tuesday's cabinet session, and the other two walked out in the final moments as the decision was being taken. Qassem has said any government decision would require a national consensus and may challenge the legitimacy of cabinet decisions taken without Shi'ites. The cabinet decision gave the army a deadline to submit a disarmament plan to the government by the end of August. Another session scheduled for Thursday will discuss Barrack's proposal. Some Lebanese parties may keep trying to find a workaround that avoids a confrontation between Hezbollah and the state while warding off heavier Israeli strikes.
Asharq Al-Awsat
6 days ago
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Can Lebanon Disarm Hezbollah?
Lebanon's cabinet has told the army to draw up a plan to establish a state monopoly on arms in a challenge to the Iran-backed Shiite group Hezbollah, which rejects calls to disarm. WHY IS THERE A PUSH TO DISARM HEZBOLLAH NOW? Israel pummeled Hezbollah last year in a war sparked by the conflict in Gaza, killing many of its top brass and 5,000 of its fighters before a November truce brokered by the United States. That deal committed Lebanon to restricting arms to six specific state security forces, and further stipulated that it should confiscate unauthorized weapons and prevent rearmament by non-state groups. In the months since, a new Lebanese government vowed to confine arms across the country to state control, Hezbollah's main arms route was cut when its Syrian ally Bashar al-Assad was ousted in December and Israel attacked its sponsor Iran in June. The government is facing pressure from Washington and Hezbollah's domestic rivals to act swiftly amid fears that Israel could intensify air strikes on Lebanon. Despite November's ceasefire, Israel has continued to carry out strikes on what it says are Hezbollah arms depots and fighters, mostly in southern Lebanon. HOW IS THE UNITED STATES INVOLVED? In June, US envoy Thomas Barrack proposed a roadmap to Lebanese officials to fully disarm Hezbollah in exchange for Israel halting its strikes on Lebanon and withdrawing its troops from five points they still occupy in southern Lebanon. But Hezbollah and its main Shiite ally the Amal Movement, led by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, say the sequencing should be reversed, with Israel withdrawing and halting strikes before any talks on Hezbollah's arms. Washington has grown impatient, demanding the Beirut government make the first move with a formal commitment to disarm Hezbollah. WHY IS HEZBOLLAH SO WELL-ARMED? After Lebanon's 15-year civil war ended in 1990 Hezbollah, founded by Iran's Revolutionary Guards in 1982, was the only group allowed to keep its weapons on the grounds that it was fighting Israel's occupation of the country's south. After Israel withdrew in 2000 the group did not give up its arms, arguing its ability to fight was still a critical element of national defense against future Israeli aggression. A ceasefire agreement after a war between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006 was backed by a UN resolution demanding the disarmament of all militant groups, but Hezbollah again kept its weapons, accusing Israel of having violated other parts of the truce deal, which Israel denies. Hezbollah took over parts of Beirut in fighting in 2008, underscoring its dominance. The group exercised decisive sway over state affairs in the following years as its power grew. WHAT DOES HEZBOLLAH SAY AND COULD THERE BE CIVIL STRIFE? Hezbollah has called the government's decision to ask the army to draw up plans to disarm it a "grave sin" that "fully serves Israel's interest". Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem rejected each clause in Barrack's roadmap and when he spoke on Tuesday, dozens of motorcycles with men carrying Hezbollah flags drove around the group's stronghold in Beirut's southern suburbs - a show of its enduring strength. Hovering over any attempt to force Hezbollah to disarm is the specter of previous bouts of civil unrest, including the 2008 fighting, triggered by the government's attempt to shut down the group's military telecoms network - an important facility for the group, but still less central than its arms. WHAT ARE THE POLITICAL COMPLICATIONS? Lebanon's power-sharing system apportions public sector posts, including in parliament, the cabinet and other roles, to different religious sects according to quotas. The system is meant to ensure no sect is cut out of decision making, but critics say it leads to political paralysis. Shiite representation in both parliament and cabinet is dominated by Hezbollah and its political ally Amal. Two Shiite ministers were travelling during Tuesday's cabinet session, and the other two walked out in the final moments as the decision was being taken. Qassem has said any government decision would require a national consensus and may challenge the legitimacy of cabinet decisions taken without Shiites. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? The cabinet decision gave the army a deadline to submit a disarmament plan to the government by the end of August. Another session scheduled for Thursday will discuss Barrack's proposal. Some Lebanese parties may keep trying to find a workaround that avoids a confrontation between Hezbollah and the state while warding off heavier Israeli strikes.
Al Jazeera
7 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Hezbollah to treat Lebanon's disarmament decision ‘as if it does not exist'
Hezbollah has branded the Lebanese government's push to have a state monopoly on arms as a 'grave sin' and is dismissing it out of hand 'as if it doesn't exist'. The group on Wednesday rejected the Lebanese cabinet's decision a day earlier, which authorises the Lebanese army to draw up a plan to confine arms across the country to six official security forces by the end of the year. The government decision followed ramped up pressure by the United States to get the Lebanese armed group to lay down its arms, amid burgeoning fears that Israel could intensify strikes on Lebanon, even while it carries out near-daily violations of the November truce it signed with Hezbollah to end the war. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam confirmed the decree after the cabinet meeting, saying, 'the state's duty to monopolise the possession of weapons', according to Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA). Salam's declaration on Tuesday amounted to an official rejection by the Lebanese government to Hezbollah's military presence in the country, an unthinkable development two years ago when the group held sway in the country and its military powers were a forceful reality in the region. In a written statement on Wednesday, Hezbollah said the move was a result of US 'diktats' and that it would 'deal with it as if it does not exist'. 'The government of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam committed a grave sin by taking a decision to strip Lebanon of its weapons to resist the Israeli enemy … This decision fully serves Israel's interest,' the group said. The statement said Shia ministers walked out of the 6-hour long cabinet session before the decision was reached as 'an expression of the resistance's (Hezbollah's) rejection of this decision'. The group said it remained ready to discuss a broader national security strategy and urged its supporters to remain patient. 'We are open to dialogue, ending the Israeli aggression against Lebanon, liberating its land, releasing prisoners, working to build the state, and rebuilding what was destroyed by the brutal [Israeli] aggression,' Hezbollah's statement read. It added that Israel must first adhere to the ceasefire agreement reached in November of last year – which Israel has been flagrantly breaking. Underscoring regular attacks on its northern neighbour, an Israeli drone strike targeting the southern Lebanese town of Tulin killed a child and injured his father on Wednesday, Al-Akhbar publication reported. Lebanon's National News Agency also said that Israeli jets dropped four bombs over the Wazzani River in the southeast of the country. Lebanon's cabinet is scheduled to meet again on Thursday to continue discussions on US proposals to disarm Hezbollah within a specific time frame. Lebanese politicians have not ruled out disarming Hezbollah by force, with the Lebanese army to step in to do so if such a decision is made. But on Friday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun warned that disarmament is a sensitive issue due to sectarian divisions within the country, which could have consequences for national peace. Tuesday's session at Lebanon's presidential palace was the first time the cabinet addressed Hezbollah's weapons. Hezbollah emerged weakened from war with Israel last year that saw most of the group's senior leaders assassinated by Israel, including its longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah, killed thousands of its fighters and Lebanese civilians, and left tens of thousands from the Shia and other communities displaced from their destroyed homes. Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem reiterated on Tuesday as the cabinet met that the group will not lay down its weapons under Israeli fire, instead stating that the strategy should not be a timeline to disarm, and that resistance to Israel must be discussed in national consensus. In a televised speech from a secure location on, Qassem said, 'The resistance is fine, strong and ready to fight for Lebanon's sovereignty and independence … Hezbollah made heavy sacrifices to defend Lebanon against the Israeli aggression.'
Arab News
7 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Hezbollah says Lebanon cabinet decision to limit arms to state is 'grave sin'
BEIRUT, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Lebanese armed group Hezbollah on Wednesday condemned the cabinet's decision to move towards a state monopoly on arms, saying it was a "grave sin" that only served Israel. In a written statement, the group said the move was a result of U.S. diktats and that its members would treat it as if it did not exist. (Reporting by Maya Gebeily and Laila Bassam)
