Hezbollah’s Hegemony

Hezbollah’s weapons, are a controversial topic, as the party wields significant power in Lebanon, where it operates as both a Shiite political party and militant group.

Back in 1969, the “Cairo Agreement”, brokered by Egypt, was reached between a Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Lebanese Government (although the text of such was never published, an unofficial but probably-accurate version did appear in the Lebanese daily newspaper Al-Nahar on 20 April 1970).

It established essentially the principles under which the presence of the Palestinian refugees resident in Lebanon would be regulated by the Lebanese authorities; allowing them to bear weapons; legally self-control their refugee camps, and guerrilla campaigns against Israel from southern Lebanon.

By early 1970s, the PLO had effectively established a state within a state, eventually increasing Palestinian involvement in Lebanese affairs, especially after the Jordanian Civil War (known as "Black September") , thus, promulgating the Lebanese Army inability to contain their activities.

By April 1975, perpetrating a Civil War to break-out between the PLO fighters and the Christian political parties militia, prompting months later the (leftist) Lebanese National Movement (LNM) militias to enter the conflict on the side of the PLO, resulting in a civil war.

In 1976, as a result, President, Suleiman Frangieh, called upon Syria to intervene, causing the PLO to retreat to the south, while continuing their guerrilla campaigns, resulting in an Israeli incursion in March 1978.

In 1977, tension turned into hostility, and an open all-out conflict between the Christian militias, and the Syrian military apparatus broke-out.

In early 1980s, the Lebanese Shiites parties, meanwhile, inspired and supported by Iran, in light of the Israeli occupation, formed a resistance movement that became known as "Hezbollah" (Party of God).

In 1982, escalations in the conflict led to a further Israeli incursion and occupation (known as "Lebanon War"), resulting in the expulsion of the PLO from southern Lebanon.

In 1985, as a result, Hezbollah, (or “the Resistance”) as many call it, gained ground, and published a manifesto pledging its allegiance to Iran’s Supreme Leader, while committing to bear weapons for the protection of Lebanon, and defeat of Israel.

In 1987, on the heel of such, President Amine Gemayel signed into law the annulment of the Cairo Agreement.

In 1989, the “Taif Agreement”, brokered by Saudi Arabia to end Lebanon's civil war, was executed. Which stipulated in section III, under ‘Other Reforms’, in paragraph G’s sub-paragraph ‘Information’ that: “A disbanding of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias shall be announced. The militias' weapons shall be delivered to the State of Lebanon within a period of 6 months, beginning with the approval of the National Accord Charter.”

Nowhere did the Agreement give any party the right to keep or have weapons!

However, as the various warring factions surrendered their weapons, an exception was made for Hezbollah, to keep its weapons after the 1975-90 civil war, due to the fact that it was fighting Israeli forces occupying part of southern Lebanon.

In 1997, prompting the United States to designate Hezbollah as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).

In 2000, despite Israel’s eventual withdrawal, Hezbollah kept its weapons, with many arguing that the Lebanese army was inept to defend the country.

In-spite of the tensions Hezbollah’s weapons stirred domestically and abroad, any attempt to force the party to relinquish them has repeatedly failed.

In 2004, as a result, the United Nations Security Council passed ‘Resolution 1559’, which, in part called for armed groups other than the State military to disarm.

In 2006, Security Council ‘Resolution 1701’, which, ended the 34-day war (known as the "Second Lebanon War")between Israel and Hezbollah, banned all unauthorized weapons from the Litani River to the Blue Line (U.N. monitored border) between Israel and Lebanon.

Hanin Ghaddar, senior fellow at the ‘Washington Institute for Near East Policy’, said that Hezbollah will not give up its arms without orders from Iran. “Iran is the only actor that could actually ask Hezbollah to drop their weapons and they would, but Iran won’t do that!”

On May 2008, the “Doha Agreement”, brokered by The Arab League, was signed. An accord that brought to a close an 18-month political stalemate between the Christian, parties; the Lebanese Government, and the Hezbollah-led Muslim opposition, ending a brief sectarian intrastate military conflict that brought the country to the verge of civil war again, as the country had been without a President for 6-month.

In August 2008, Lebanon's interim cabinet during the interval, unanimously approved a draft "Mission Statement" that recognizes Hezbollah's existence as a legitimately weaponized organization.

In October 2009, ironically, under the new President Michel Suleiman, Lebanon was among five countries elected to the U.N. Security Council for a two year term.

On December 2009, following extended negotiations the Lebanese Parliament overwhelmingly approved a National Unity Government with a cabinet composed of 30 Ministers that would allow Hezbollah to keep its weapons.

By February 2010, in-turn the new cabinet endorsed Hezbollah's right to keep its weapons strictly for defense against Israel. The decision was written into a “Policy Statement” released by the Government headed by Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri, (a dependent on the goodwill of Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s Secretary General) literally repeating the previous Mission Statement legitimizing the weapons of Hezbollah.

(To this end however, the Lebanese Constitution drafted in 1926 is characterized by a rigid nature and written form, in 102 articles, notwithstanding, a number of customary constitutional rules.

It is considered rigid because its amendment is more complicated than the procedures of issuing or amending regular laws.

The Constitution does not prohibit any amendment to its articles provided that this is done in light of the rules set forth in Articles 76, 77, 78, and 79, which, both the 2008 Mission Statement, and the 2009 Policy Statement do not fulfil.)

In 2013, despite the foregoing, the European Union designated Hezbollah's military wing, a terrorist organization.

In 2016, the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) also designated Lebanon's Hezbollah movement, a terrorist group.

Only days after the GCC’s designation, even The Arab League adopted the same stance declaring the Hezbollah resistance movement, a terrorist group.

Among 195 countries in the world today, only 8 (Algeria; The?People's Republic of China; Cuba; Iran; North Korea; Russia; Syria, and Venezuela's Maduro Government) still do not consider Hezbollah a quintessential terrorist organization.

One cannot help wonder, if Lebanon’s Government is de jure independent but de facto completely dependent upon?Hezbollah’s hegemony?

Food for thought!