Lebanon’s ‘illegitimate’ decision to disarm Hezbollah amounts to ‘high treason’: Lawyer

By Sally Ahmed

The recent decision by the Lebanese government to disarm the Hezbollah resistance movement is “illegitimate” and amounts to “high treason” as it serves the interests of the Israeli enemy, according to a Lebanese lawyer.

In an interview with the Press TV website, Qassem Hadraj, a lawyer and expert in international relations, said the Lebanese government’s decision “lacks legitimacy in both form and content".

On Tuesday, Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam tasked the country’s army to develop a plan to restrict weapons to the state by the end of the year, a decision that aims at disarming the Hezbollah resistance movement that has for decades defended the country from external aggression, especially from the Israeli enemy.

Two days later, during a cabinet meeting, the Lebanese government officials further discussed the US proposal aimed at disarming Hezbollah and endorsed its “objectives”.

In terms of form, Hadraj said the decision to disarm Hezbollah constitutes “a blatant violation of the pact of mutual coexistence”, as it was issued in the absence of Hezbollah and Amal ministers from the Shia community, who represent one of the main components of the Lebanese society and politics.

Noting that the Lebanese constitution states that there is no legitimacy for any authority that contradicts the pact of mutual coexistence, Hadraj said the move is deemed “non-existent."

Referring to Article 65 of Lebanon’s Constitution, which assigns executive authority to the cabinet as a whole, Hadraj reiterated that the decision lacks legitimacy because four Shia ministers walked out of the August 7 government meeting in protest against the US-proposed plan to disarm Hezbollah, while the fifth minister objected to it.

In terms of content, Hadraj, who is also chairman of the Human Rights and Media Committee of the World Union Organization for Arabic Press, said the plan is not implementable, due to Hezbollah’s objections, and because the army lacks the necessary information about the types of weapons and their locations, as well as the capabilities and expertise to deal with them.

“It is self-evident that any decision taken by the executive authority is supposed to be implementable and take into account the circumstances, timing and priorities, which are absent in the government decision,” he noted.

Hezbollah has condemned the government’s decision to disarm it as a “grave sin,” warning that such a move would weaken the country against Israeli aggression. The popular resistance group declared it would ignore the decision entirely, treating it “as if it did not exist."

Noting that the decision to restrict arms directed towards the enemy came while the state is unable to confront the Israeli regime’s relentless attacks, the legal expert stressed that the decision amounts to “high treason, as it serves the interest of the enemy.”

“Therefore, the army can’t execute an order by the political authority that contradicts its military oath and serve the enemy of its homeland,” he stressed.

Decrying the decision as “constitutionally, nationally, and morally invalid,” Hadraj said it also contradicts the principles established by the president’s oath of office and the government’s ministerial statement, and constitutes “a coup by the authority against itself and against the Taif Agreement", negotiated in Saudi Arabia’s Taif in 1989, which ended the civil war in Lebanon.

‘Catastrophic repercussions’

Hadraj also warned that this decision could have “catastrophic repercussions” for Lebanon, as it has split the Lebanese people between opponents and supporters.

However, he stressed that Hezbollah is trying to contain the anger of the people who see this decision as directly targeting “their security and existence”, while keeping doors open for political efforts to mitigate the dangers of this situation.

If not addressed quickly, Hadraj warned, this decision will “achieve for the enemy what it has dreamed of for years.”

The counsel pointed out that this decision could lead to one of these three potential outcomes: either a clash between the army and the resistance, or Sunni-Shia strife, or a civil war, calling on the government to reject foreign dictates.

“Therefore, any other repercussions should Lebanon refuse to implement the [US] dictates will be more nationalistic and less dangerous to Lebanon's existence as a unified state and an independent entity,” he emphasized.

His remarks came as supporters of the Lebanese resistance took to the streets in several cities across the country this week to protest the government’s controversial decision to implement the US proposal aimed at stripping Hezbollah of its weapons.

‘US ignored Lebanon’s amendments’

Hadraj noted that the new US proposal approved on Thursday has ignored the Lebanese amendments to the initial proposal and treated them “as if they did not exist.”

He added that the new document even contains “more submissive and surrendering conditions” than the previous one.

“The government's approval of it is tantamount to signing an unconditional surrender instrument that contradicts the national interest,” Hadraj asserted.

“This is considered a public acknowledgment of the Lebanese authority's inability” to withstand American and Israeli pressures, he noted, adding that the “stillborn” decisions of August 5 and 7 were made under coercion and under the threat of annexing Lebanon to Syria, along with threats of economic sanctions and a blockade

Hadraj stated that the government should have resigned instead of endorsing this proposal and “legitimizing the Israeli occupation and American guardianship”.

“This is considered high treason against Lebanon and necessitates the prosecution of every individual complicit in this decision,” he stressed.

Pointing out that the US confirmed the weapons of the anti-Israel resistance movement should be either seized or destroyed, Hadraj stated that this restricts the role of the Lebanese army to that of “a border guard for the Israeli enemy”.

“Consequently, the decisions of the illegitimate government include an explicit concession of the army's role in confronting aggression and liberating the land, restricting it to executing the political orders dictated to the Lebanese authority, all of which serve the interests of the enemy,” he stated.

The army will not abide by these orders to preserve its dignity and its role in maintaining civil peace and to avoid the “disastrous repercussions” that would inevitably lead to a division within the military institution itself, Hadraj said.

The counsel also ruled out the possibility of Hezbollah disarmament, saying “everyone is aware that if all the forces in the world united to disarm the resistance, they wouldn’t succeed.”

He reaffirmed that the two decisions are just aimed at creating “an internal rift and strife” that could lead to a civil war.

However, Hadraj stressed that the resistance is expected to direct its efforts against the Israeli enemy and continue to fulfill its mission of defending the country and its people because this will be “more honorable and less costly” than any internal conflict.

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