Lebanese government: Hizbullah can keep arms
Lebanese unity government authorizes policy draft affirming right of 'the resistance' to liberate territories under Israeli control. Pleased with achievement, veto-wielding Hizbullah already sets sights on new goal – ending IAF sorties
The Lebanese unity government unanimously approved the draft of its future policy statement, voting in favor of allowing Hizbullah to retain its weapons arsenal and continue its campaign to "liberate all its
territories" – i.e. the Shebaa farms and the village of Ghajar.
The position paper will now be brought before the Lebanese Parliament for its vote of confidence.
In recent days Hizbullah has drawn attention to its newly focused efforts on ending Israeli Air Force sorties over Lebanon.
The clause in question was the main point of contention between the country's political factions as they sought to draft the policy proposal. Section 24 of the draft now assures the "right of Lebanon's people, the army and the resistance to liberate all its territories."
Many officials in the anti-Syrian, pro-Western bloc had argued that statement should not include the word ''resistance'' and that it should make ''liberating the occupied lands'' solely the national army's responsibility. But Hizbullah and its allies strongly opposed those demands
Hizbullah said it was satisfied with the decision: "The government's decision proves that the resistance, which won in July 2006, and completed its victory in Operation Radwan (the prisoner-exchange deal with Israel), and is now going from victory to victory," said Lebanese MP for Hizbullah, Hassan Haballah.
Information Minister Tareq Mitri said that four ministers had expressed reservations over the clause related to "resistance against Israel."
