Washington made clear on Monday, via its envoy Tom Barrack, that the disarmament of Hezbollah should focus specifically on “weapons that threaten Israel’s security.”
Barrack stressed in a statement that the United States continues to classify Hezbollah as a terrorist organization and called on the Lebanese government to take the lead in initiating the group’s disarmament.
Describing Lebanon’s sectarian landscape as “highly complex,” Barrack acknowledged the deep-rooted political challenges facing the country. He criticized what he called decades of “stalling and prevarication” in Lebanese politics but expressed cautious optimism about the current leadership.
“The current Lebanese government is willing to resolve all issues, and we don’t dictate their decisions,” he noted.
But “for Hezbollah to begin handing over its weapons, an initiative must be taken by the government,” Barrack said – in a message clearly, though indirectly, directed at Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s cabinet, which he said “is ready to address all pending issues.”
“We are not imposing on Lebanon what it should do,” Barrack added. However, he clarified that the weapons subject to the disarmament process “are those that pose a direct threat to Israel.”
Responding to a frequently invoked argument by Lebanese officials and Hezbollah itself – that any attempt to disarm the group could ignite a civil war – Barrack commented, “It is not the disarmament itself that risks triggering a civil war, but the fear of doing so and the government’s obstruction of the process,” he said.
His remarks come as negotiations between Washington and Beirut continue over Hezbollah’s disarmament – widely viewed as a necessary step for establishing a genuine state and freeing Lebanese citizens from the looming threat of being dragged into wars not of their own making.
According to Lebanese TV station LBCI, authorities have received Washington’s written observations – delivered via the US Embassy in Beirut – in response to Lebanon’s reply to US proposals on disarmament and reform.
The station reported that Lebanon is currently reviewing this document, which stresses the need to adhere to a clear timeline to bring all Hezbollah weapons under exclusive state control. That deadline, according to LBCI, has been set by the US for the end of the current year.
Communication reportedly continues between Barrack and President Joseph Aoun, who last week submitted Lebanon’s official reply to the US proposal.
Comments