Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea said that Hezbollah’s unilateral decision and the timing of the battle in Arsal, taken without consulting with the Lebanese government or the Lebanese army leadership, have caused resentment among a large part of the Lebanese political forces. These forces once again demanded unanimous agreement on defense strategy that would define Hezbollah’s role and put its weapons under the control of the Lebanese state and its institutions.
Wahba Qatisha, retired Brigadier General and Advisor to Geagea, stressed that as long as Hezbollah ignores Lebanon’s national interests, Lebanon will not be freed from the party’s domination.
Qatisha raised doubt about the readiness of Hezbollah to sit at the table to discuss a defense strategy and the fate of its weapons. He pointed out that the way Hezbollah is fighting is not different from those of any militias around the world.
“The Lebanese army is doing better than Hezbollah in the battle even though the party has access to more modern and sophisticated weaponry,” Qatisha added.
The Syrian Coalition’s legal committee on Wednesday sent a memorandum to the UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Secretary General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit, and representatives of the permanent members of the UN Security Council to protest against the attacks on Syrian civilians and refugees by the Hezbollah militias on Syrian civilians and refugees in the Qalamoun area in Syria and the town of Arsal in Lebanon.
The memorandum called on the United Nations to exercise pressure the Lebanese government to improve the situation of Syrian refugees and to protect them from the continued attacks and violations by Hezbollah militias.
The memorandum called for the formation of an independent committee under the supervision of the United Nations to investigate these violations and to ensure the safety and immediate release of Syrian refugees in the custody of the Lebanese army. It also called for permanent international monitoring of the status of Syrian refugees in Lebanon in light of the continued violations against them by Hezbollah. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department + Al-Sharq Al-Awsat)
