The Lebanese government’s Special Envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack, has told Al Jazeera that the US is not interested in pressuring anyone to give up its weapons, and that the US is doing so.
The Lebanese government’s efforts to disarm Hezbollah, which was one of the key components of the November ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, were once again rejected by Barrack’s comments a day later.
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Naim stated on Saturday that “we will never give up our weapons, nor will we give up them,” adding that Hezbollah would continue to “confront any project that benefits Israel.” The Lebanese government’s disarmament plan, according to Hezbollah, only serves Israel’s interests.
Israel, the US’s closest regional ally, and Israel have been working together to end Hezbollah’s rocket attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, a day after Israel began its occupation of Gaza. More than 4, 000 people had already died as a result of Israel’s strikes on Lebanon on November 27.
Hezbollah, which has lost ground in the conflict, continues to be a significant political force for the Shia community and its allies are members of the parliament.
Hezbollah is “a legitimate political party in Lebanon,” according to Barrack in an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera Arabic.
Israeli attacks occur almost daily.
Hezbollah, which the US describes as a “terrorist” foreign organization, was described by the US envoy as “a fundamental component of the Lebanese political system.”
The Lebanese political leaders who agreed to the goals of a US-backed plan for Hezbollah’s arsenal, described as “a complex problem for them.”
Despite Hezbollah’s outright refusal to disarm, the plan was approved by Lebanon’s cabinet on August 7, raising concerns that Israel might launch additional attacks against Lebanon.
Since the November ceasefire agreement, Israel has been occupying Lebanese territory and has carried out nearly daily attacks in southern Lebanon.
A drone strike on a home in Humin and a series of Israeli air strikes near the towns of Kfar Rumman and Jarmak, according to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency on Sunday.
The US envoy, Barrack, claimed that aiding Lebanon “would not be our responsibility.” He said, “We don’t put pressure on anyone, and we won’t let Israel or Lebanon dictate what they should do.”
We said this was your internal issue, and we were right. You must disarm the parties and organizations that don’t adhere to the constitution in order to have a united army and a true state.
The envoy claimed that Israel would continue to be at odds with it as long as Hezbollah was seen as “hostile, rebuilding, and rearming.”
US considering the future of Gaza and Syria.
According to Barrack, US President Donald Trump was “eager” and “looking for the “right solution” to put an end to the Gaza war.
According to him, “I think the president understood the importance of moving forward and getting it done quickly,” he told Al Jazeera.
After former President Bashar al-Assad’s ousting opened the door for the nation’s readmission, the envoy also praised Syria’s first UN General Assembly appearance in nearly 60 years.
In the months since al-Assad was removed in January, Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has established new institutions, plans to hold elections, and promoted foreign investment.
In July, the US removed the Syrian-led “foreign terrorist organizations” (HTS), which al-Sharaa led, from its “foreign terrorist organizations” list, reflecting a change in policy toward post-Assad Syria.
Barrack praised al-Sharaa’s efforts to end the country’s lingering conflicts in the southern and northeastern regions, saying that Trump had chosen to “give them a chance.”
Source: Aljazeera
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