- 28
- Jan.
- 2025
While the Lebanese were hopeful for a swift formation of PM-designate Nawaf Salam’s government, unforeseen hurdles and impediments arose, delaying its establishment. However, it is expected that Salam will submit his cabinet lineup to President Joseph Aoun in the coming days. Sources close to the matter attribute the delay to the demands of the Amal-Hezbollah duo and Salam’s efforts to reach an agreement with them, in line with his political approach, which prioritizes adherence to the Constitution and the Taif Agreement. Meanwhile, the pro-Iranian party continues to push for the legalization and retention of its weapons under the banner of ‘resistance.’
In his inaugural speech, President Joseph Aoun stressed “his commitment to pursuing a comprehensive defense policy as part of a broader national security strategy, addressing diplomatic, economic, and military dimensions. This strategy aims to enable Lebanon to end Israeli occupation and deter any aggression against its territory.” He also reaffirmed “the state’s exclusive right to wield arms.”
A former official underlined that illegal weapons pose a direct threat to the state, its economy and its development. The Lebanese State alone is responsible for ensuring the protection of the nation and its citizens and weapons outside state control undermine Lebanon’s standing on the international stage. More importantly, illegal arms did not prevent Israeli aggression, but rather provoked it.
Hezbollah has leveraged ministerial statements to legitimize its weapons under the “people, army, and resistance” triptych, aiming to liberate occupied territories. Since 2006, the pro-Iranian party has steadfastly refused to engage in discussions about a defense strategy or the fate of its arms.
Hezbollah’s late Secretary-General, Hassan Nasrallah, proposed his defense strategy, while others submitted their own plans. However, the issue was not discussed in depth at the roundtable, which Nasrallah interpreted as implicit acceptance of his proposal. Since then, Hezbollah has dismissed any further discussions of the defense strategy.
Upon assuming office, former President Michel Sleiman initiated the establishment of a National Dialogue Committee based in Baabda, grouping representatives from various political factions. A former minister involved in the meetings revealed that Sleiman submitted his proposal for a national defense strategy, to be discussed following the committee’s unanimous endorsement of the Baabda Declaration.
However, Hezbollah’s representatives and its allies in the March 8 camp refused to participate in further meetings, sabotaging the discussion of a strategy. In response, MP Mohammad Raad, head of Hezbollah’s Loyalty to the Resistance bloc and the group’s representative on the committee, dismissed the Baabda Declaration as void, sarcastically suggesting it should be “tossed out and forgotten.”
This led to the breakdown of relations between Hezbollah and President Sleiman, particularly after he described the party’s ‘people, army, and resistance’ triptych as a wooden, rather than a golden one. Consequently, President Sleiman’s term ended without a defense strategy in place to regulate Hezbollah’s weapons.
Under President Michel Aoun, the national dialogue committee was never formed, and the issue of a defense strategy remained unresolved, as Hezbollah showed little interest in engaging in such discussions.
Throughout his presidency, Michel Aoun aligned with Hezbollah’s position. In response to both domestic and international calls for a strategy to regulate the party’s weapons and bring them under state control, Aoun declared, on the eve of the parliamentary elections, that “the defense strategy would be discussed among Lebanon’s political leaders after the elections and the formation of the new government.”
However, Aoun failed to fulfill his promise, explaining that “the parameters for the defense strategy have shifted, including regional spheres of influence.” He added, “I have studied the defense strategy academically, and what I proposed earlier is suitable for Lebanon over the next 100 years. Others, however, are pushing for a strategy with the sole purpose of disarming Hezbollah. Their agenda is political, not defense-oriented.” Aoun’s term ended without any progress on the defense strategy.
Following Hezbollah’s so-called “support front” for Gaza and the Israeli war on Lebanon, which resulted in the killing of key Hezbollah leaders, including Nasrallah, and the reported destruction of 70% of the group’s arsenal leading to the ceasefire agreement, Hezbollah raised the defense strategy issue. It emphasized the need for Lebanon’s armed resistance to liberate areas such as the disputed Shebaa Farms, the Kfarchouba Hills, and the town of Ghajar.
In light of recent developments in Lebanon and the broader region, Hezbollah has reiterated the importance of retaining its weapons to reinforce its political standing, confident that the evolving circumstances will ultimately work in its favor.
A Western diplomat has revealed that support for the new presidency is dependent on the implementation of reforms and the eradication of weapons outside the state's authority. In response to Hezbollah’s insistence on retaining its arms, both local political forces and external parties argue: “You have a robust army, one that has demonstrated its effectiveness and strength in the south by repelling aggression.”
A country like Lebanon, with a national army that has proven its capability, cannot allow an external military force, equipped with missiles from a regional power under the pretext of defending Lebanon, to operate within its borders while serving a regional agenda.
Dismantling illegal arms will also encompass Palestinian weapons in the refugee camps and beyond, and this issue will be discussed during the upcoming meeting between General Joseph Aoun and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, scheduled during the latter’s visit to Lebanon.
It is even confirmed that “all kinds of illegal weapons, beyond the control of the State, will be eradicated.”
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