Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem as seen on Al-Manar channel on August 15. Click to see full-size image.
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem on August 15 condemned the Lebanese government’s recent decision to approve a plan to disarm his group by the end of the year, warning that any attempt to implement the plan will undermine the country’s national security.
In an extended speech, Qassem emphasized that Hezbollah “will not hand over its weapons as long as the occupation exists and aggression continues.”
The leader said that the group would fight a “Karbala-like battle” – a reference to the 7th-century clash central to Shi’ite Muslim identity – against what he described as the American-Israeli project, expressing confidence in victory, and placing “full responsibility on the Lebanese government for any strife that may occur.”
The plan approved by the government on August 7 is based on a proposal made by U.S. envoy Thomas Barrack. The proposal includes a roadmap to fully disarm Hezbollah, in exchange for Israel halting its strikes on Lebanon and withdrawing its troops from the five posts it maintains in southern Lebanon.
Qassem threatened that “there will be no life in Lebanon” if the government were to try taking the group’s weapons by force.
“This is our country, and we build its sovereignty together; otherwise, there will be no life for Lebanon if you stand on the other side. Either Lebanon remains and we remain together, or to the world, farewell,” he said.
The leader added that Hezbollah and the Amal movement, its Shi’ite Muslim ally, had decided to delay any street protests against the U.S.-backed disarmament plan, as they still see room for dialogue with the Lebanese government. But he warned any future protests could reach the U.S. Embassy.
A day earlier, a series of Israeli strikes hit southern Lebanon, the heartland of Hezbollah, with the Israeli military later announcing that it had targeted several tunnels of the group.
The presence of the tunnels was a “violation” of the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon brokered by the U.S. last November, the military said.
Qassem’s latest remarks indicate that Hezbollah is willing to fight to the end to keep its weapons. The Lebanese government is now facing a very difficult discussion. It either submits to the demands of the U.S., sparking civil unrest, or rejects, giving Israel an excuse to renew the war on the country.
Hezbollah seems ready for the two scenarios, as they are both less risky than accepting the disarmament plan, which will not only leave the group exposed to Israel, but also to longtime rivals within Lebanon and to the new Sunni Muslim rulers in neighboring Syria.
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