Latest news with #non-Lebanese
Tayyar.org
4 days ago
- Politics
- Tayyar.org
Bassil: We insist on limiting illegal weapons to the hands of the state through a practical plan... It must be utilized to achieve political benefits for Lebanon
Press Conference by MP Gebran Bassil, Leader of the Free Patriotic Movement, on the Exclusivity of Arms in the State's Hands I – Fundamental Position 1. Legal and Constitutional on the legal definition of a state as the sole authority entitled to use force to defend the country and ensure the safety of its citizens, the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) affirms that any weapon outside the state's authority is illegal—whether it belongs to Lebanese or non-Lebanese groups—except in cases of legitimate self-defense or the liberation of occupied territory, and only when expressly authorized by the state in accordance with its constitution and framework was in place from 1990 until 2025, when the Lebanese government received parliamentary confidence based on a ministerial statement affirming that arms should be exclusively under the authority of the state. Implementing this decision is the government's responsibility, and steps toward that goal have already begun. Accordingly, parliament retains the authority to decide whether to withdraw confidence from the government. Since it has not done so, this government—despite our vote of no-confidence—continues to enjoy parliamentary trust. 2. Clear and Consistent PositionThe FPM maintains a firm stance: weapons must remain solely under the authority of the state, with no sharing or joint control. This position rests on the following principles:A. State sovereignty and unified decision-making on security: The possession and use of regulated arms must remain exclusively within legitimate state institutions.B. The Taif Agreement: This agreement called for the dissolution of all militias—a clause never fully implemented, leaving both the arms of the resistance and other provisions unaddressed. Successive governments effectively legitimized these armed groups. It is now time to fully implement this clause, along with others such as administrative decentralization, the abolition of political sectarianism, and the establishment of a senate.C. International resolutions: Particularly UN Security Council Resolution 1701, alongside other resolutions addressing the Palestinian refugee issue, ensuring that any solution does not come at Lebanon's expense. II – Practical and Realistic Position Recent developments require a reassessment of how the FPM addresses the issue of arms: 1. Hezbollah's Deterrent RoleHezbollah's deterrent role has eroded due to its unilateral involvement in the 'support war,' weakening its capacity after the latest conflict. While it may still retain limited defensive capability against a potential Israeli invasion, these arms have become a source of threat and a pretext for aggression against for Palestinian arms, both inside and outside the camps, they are already rendered null by the cancellation of the Cairo Agreement. This makes the arms issue urgent, as it directly threatens Lebanon's sovereignty and national stability. 2. Regional and International InvolvementThe involvement of these arms in regional and international power struggles—beyond Lebanon's capacity to manage—has stripped them of their distinctly Lebanese character. This is precisely what the 2006 Agreement sought to prevent: 'Lebanonizing' the arms by limiting their role to defending Lebanon under a state-led defensive these weapons have been drawn into regional, supportive, and even offensive roles; given field realities showing a decline in their actual capabilities; and considering the FPM's long-standing position that Lebanon must remain neutral in regional conflicts—these arms must be placed exclusively under state authority. They must not serve any regional axis, in line with neutrality and preventing Lebanon from being shifted from one axis to reaffirm our commitment to the Arab and international framework for a two-state solution, to restoring all of Lebanon's territorial and resource rights, and to facilitating the return of both Palestinian refugees and Syrian displaced persons to their homelands. 3. Failure to Build the StateHezbollah's failure to actively engage in state-building constitutes a breach of the 2006 Agreement, wasting the opportunity during President Michel Aoun's term to construct a strong state and reinforce it politically and economically by complementing military strength with other pillars of light of this failure and current realities, it is essential to preserve Lebanon's military capacity to address threats from the south and east—but exclusively under the authority of the state, its army, and its decision-making institutions. This will strengthen state authority, enhance capabilities, and ensure effective responses to challenges. III – The FPM's Core Principles 1. Rejecting internal strife and the isolation of any Lebanese group; ensuring reassurance and protection for any community that feels threatened, whether from internal or external sources; and rejecting both foreign interference and domestic incitement based on sectarian or political motives. These risks can be mitigated through dialogue and goodwill. 2. Rejecting any form of blackmail or threats of civil war by any group seeking to prevent the unification of arms under state control. Accepting such threats would set a precedent allowing factions to secure gains outside the framework of the national pact and consensus. 3. Adopting a decisive yet gradual and comprehensive approach to transition Lebanon toward exclusive state control over weapons. This should be implemented through a phased plan aligned with the Lebanese army's capabilities—making use of Hezbollah's weapons without destroying them—and securing genuine, tangible international support from states sponsoring and guaranteeing the arms falls under what the FPM calls a 'defensive strategy' and the government terms a 'national defense system,' in all cases under the state's exclusive command, with the Shiite community as an essential pillar of the state and its handover of these weapons must be accompanied by political returns for Lebanon, including: Israeli withdrawal from newly occupied territories; the return of prisoners; an end to aggression; full liberation of the land; reconstruction; the immediate return of Syrian displaced people; resolution of the Palestinian refugee issue; Lebanon's right to exploit its natural resources (water, oil, gas); and international guarantees for Lebanon's protection (including a formal international decision), alongside Lebanon's neutrality in regional opportunity should also be used to push for necessary economic and financial reforms, codified into Lebanese laws, and paired with an international economic conference dedicated to Lebanon. All these principles affirm that weapons must be exclusive to legitimate security institutions—especially the Lebanese army, the guarantor of all Lebanese and defender of the nation's borders and sovereignty. They also affirm that Lebanon's territory is not a battlefield for regional or international conflicts, but the homeland of the Lebanese people, whose diversity is safeguarded by democracy and whose stability is built on constant dialogue. IV – Holding the Authorities Accountable The ruling authority must translate its positions into concrete action on the following issues: 1. Syrian Displacement Crisis: Achieve the immediate return of displaced persons, urging Western nations to adopt a practical plan with immediate incentives to enable this return, and prioritize it in any proposed solution. 2. Palestinian Arms Inside and Outside Camps: Immediate implementation of decisions to ensure their complete removal. 3. Relations with Syria: Define relations based on equality and full respect for sovereignty and independence; complete land and sea border demarcation; establish proper diplomatic relations, including appointing a Syrian ambassador to Lebanon; and reform economic agreements so they genuinely benefit both nations. 4. Lebanese Army: Implement a clear plan to strengthen and equip the army to face external threats. 5. Foreign Policy and Neutrality: Adopt a clear foreign policy guaranteeing Lebanon's neutrality in regional conflicts, ensuring the government serves as the primary center of national decision-making, not as a tool for foreign this context, the FPM affirms support for maintaining the best possible relations with the United States, leveraging its international standing and President Trump's policy of promoting peace in the region and the world. President Aoun and the FPM successfully used this relationship to secure a sovereign oil and gas agreement for Lebanon through maritime border demarcation with Israel. We remain convinced that President Trump's influence on Israel should be leveraged to guarantee Lebanon's rights, alongside Lebanon's readiness to engage in a just and comprehensive regional peace process. V – Political Reality and Conclusion Exclusive state control over arms is a settled matter; achieving it is only a question of time. It must secure national gains for all of Lebanon—not for Hezbollah, the Shiite community alone, or any single group. 1. Protecting and defending Lebanon is the responsibility of the state, representing all citizens—not any single faction. 2. The objective is to safeguard Lebanon's strengths, with the ultimate goal being peace, not surrender. 3. Weapons outside state authority are a sovereignty, political, regional, and strategic issue. Sovereignty is not negotiable; it is an obligation to restore Lebanon's role and ensure stability. 4. The ultimate goals are:A) A strong state with one legitimate armed force;B) Lebanon's neutrality in regional conflicts;C) Guaranteed sovereignty;D) A decentralized system within one unified state covering 10,452 km²;E) A productive economy in a society at peace with itself and its surroundings.
L'Orient-Le Jour
5 days ago
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Aoun receives NGO proposal to grant Lebanese women the right to pass citizenship
BEIRUT — President Joseph Aoun received a proposal on Wednesday from a delegation of the 'My Nationality is My Right and My Family's Right' campaign for a law granting Lebanese women who are married to non-Lebanese men the right to give Lebanese nationality to their children "within limits specified by the law." During the reception of the proposal at the Baabda Palace, which was announced on the presidency's official X account, the director of the campaign, Karima Chebbo, quoted by local news website al-Nashra, expressed hope that Aoun would assist in passing a draft law that would amend a nationality law dating from 1925, which prevents Lebanese women from passing on the Lebanese nationality to their children. According to Chebbo, the campaign began in Lebanon in 2003 and has since expanded to several Arab countries. The NGO is in coordination with a number of states, she explained, "to achieve justice and equality between men and women." The campaign "does not target anyone," she said, as quoted by al-Nashra, "but rather aims to ensure fairness for Lebanese mothers married to foreigners and reduce the negative social and familial consequences resulting from the law that has been in effect for the past 100 years." Despite decades of active campaigning, activists have never seen a breakthrough on this issue. There is no shortage of political pretexts, revolving mainly around "demographic" fears, supposedly linked to the fear of the settlement of Palestinians who have been refugees in Lebanon since 1948 and Syrians who fled the war in their country following its outbreak in 2011. For children born to Lebanese mothers and residing in Lebanon, this situation is a source of much suffering, as they continue to be considered foreigners.
Lebanese Army
14-07-2025
- Lebanese Army
Arrest of Individuals in the Town of Btebiat
Sunday, 13 July 2025 The LAF Command - Directorate of Orientation issued the following statement: A LAF unit supported by a patrol from the Directorate of Intelligence, carried out a raid in the town of Btebiat – Upper Matn and arrested eight Lebanese citizens in addition to two non-Lebanese individuals for possession of firearms and a quantity of ammunition. Preliminary investigations revealed that they are not affiliated with any terrorist organizations. The seized items were handed over, and an investigation was initiated with the arrestees under the supervision of the competent judicial authority.
Al-Ahram Weekly
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Lebanon at a crossroads
Negotiations to resolve the tensions between Lebanon and Israel are ongoing despite continuing Israeli incursions into Lebanese territory. Last Monday, US Envoy Thomas Barrack held a press conference in Beirut following his meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, during which he received a response to the US proposal to resolve the crisis between Lebanon and Israel. 'We are at a very important moment for Lebanon and the entire region. This is an opportunity that everyone must seize, and no one is better than the Lebanese at making use of opportunities,' Barrack said. 'The time has come. The region is changing very rapidly.' He praised the Lebanese response, saying that 'I am very grateful for the Lebanese response to the points we discussed. It was a responsible response that takes many issues into account. We are working on a plan that requires serious dialogue, and we have made great progress which I am satisfied with, but we must address all the details to reach an actual solution.' According to Lebanese sources, the US proposal, whose content has not been officially disclosed, includes several provisions, among them the surrender of Hizbullah's heavy weaponry, specifically missiles and offensive drones. Light and medium arms are considered a domestic Lebanese matter. This disarmament is to be completed within six months or by the end of November. The withdrawal of weapons from all other armed factions, whether Lebanese or non-Lebanese, is also required. Lebanon is expected to present a detailed implementation mechanism outlining the disarmament plan. The Lebanese state is not only facing challenges from Hizbullah, but also numerous Israeli violations involving incursions into Lebanese territory. Israeli forces repeatedly advance and then withdraw again, at times leaving behind barriers or destroying infrastructure. These actions often necessitate the intervention of the Lebanese Army in coordination with United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) forces. On the night of 26 May, an Israeli infantry force infiltrated Lebanese territory east of the southern town of Meiss El-Jabal and crossing the border by 100 metres. The force advanced into the town, deployed in an open area, and used flashlights. It was accompanied by two bulldozers near the border. The incursion was the first of its kind this year and since the cessation of military operations between Israel and Hizbullah south of the Litani River. The Israeli Army did not comment on the incursion, prompting the Lebanese Army to arrive at the site of the breach. The Lebanese Army stated on X that it had 'discovered and dismantled an Israeli espionage device camouflaged and equipped with a camera in the outskirts of Blida – Marjayoun,' adding that it had 'removed two earthen barriers erected by Israeli forces in Blida and Mays Al-Jabal – Marjayoun.' On the following day, another Israeli infantry force penetrated Lebanese territory, this time consisting of two tanks, a bulldozer, and several soldiers in Bir Shuaib – Blida. The purpose was probably to deploy a larger force with tanks to intimidate the Lebanese Army. However, the latter responded decisively, which made the Israeli force retreat. 'A unit of the Lebanese Army, in coordination with UNIFIL, removed several earth barriers and reopened roads in the outskirts of Adaisseh – Marjayoun that had been blocked by Israeli forces,' the Lebanese Army said. 'During the operation, Israeli troops accompanied by a tank attempted to obstruct the Lebanese Army's work but failed to stop the mission.' The Lebanese Army has handled the recent Israeli incursions into Lebanese territory with professionalism and in accordance with the international disarmament agreement south of the Litani River. The Wall Street Journal reported that 'US and Israeli officials say they have been pleasantly surprised by the progress, which has been critical in maintaining the fragile truce struck in November. The question now is whether the Lebanese state can complete the task in the south and extend its efforts to the rest of the country.' According to the Israeli Alma Research Centre, in the period between 21 and 27 May, 21 Israeli strikes were conducted in Lebanon (18 in Southern Lebanon and three in the Beqaa), along with six eliminations of Hizbullah operatives It said that Hizbullah operatives continue to be active and present in Southern Lebanon despite statements by the Lebanese government saying that it has taken control of about 90 per cent of sites south of the Litani River. The political and military leadership in Lebanon is at one in its commitment to preserving the country's sovereignty against Hizbullah's reckless actions and Israeli expansionist provocations. Israel currently controls five fixed positions in the south of the country, primarily on strategic hills that provide radar coverage and tactical advantages in case of an attack. This occupation lacks legal justification and constitutes a violation of Lebanese territory. Hizbullah, meanwhile, refuses to disarm or integrate into the state, leading both sides to exploit the ongoing conflict to legitimise their presence in Lebanon. Earlier this week, Hizbullah's current leader, Naim Qassem, stated during a televised speech marking the religious occasion of Ashura that 'this threat will not lead us to surrender. We are not the ones who should be told to soften our stance. The aggressor should be told to stop. We are not the ones who should be told to lay down our arms.' He thus linked Hizbullah's disarmament to Israel's withdrawal. Armed Hizbullah members were seen during Ashura celebrations in the Zoqaq Al-Blat area of Beirut. The Lebanese Army has been handling both sides with professionalism and seriousness, but it remains small in number and lacks equipment. It urgently needs support and reinforcement, so that Lebanon can once again become one of the most beautiful countries in the Eastern Mediterranean. * A version of this article appears in print in the 10 July, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Nahar Net
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Jumblat says PSP handed over arms, calls other parties to follow suit
by Naharnet Newsdesk 27 June 2025, 11:49 Former Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat said the PSP has handed over its "light and medium" arms to the state three weeks ago, urging all other parties to do the same. Jumblat called Thursday on all Lebanese and non-Lebanese parties to hand over their arms, saying that "a new chapter has been opened in the Middle East". He added that it is not by attacking Hezbollah with statements that disarmament must be done, a hint that other parties must disarm as well in a message to Hezbollah instead of attacking the group.
