Lebanese army: We'll use Hizbullah north of Litani
Beirut warns of Israeli aggression after redeployment in southern Lebanon. Lebanese headlines however stress that a properly functioning military would defang Hizbullah as an armed organization
The Lebanese army simultaneously commended Hizbullah's dedication in regards to implementing the demand to deploy Lebanese and UN forces in southern Lebanon.
The better the Lebanese army gets, the more comprehensive its responsibilities become and the more it can defend Lebanon from Israeli aggression, so will the need for armed militias like Hizbullah decline. This according to statements made by Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah two weeks ago. Nasrallah stated that a strong Lebanon would cancel the need for armed resistance.
But even though the Lebanese army announced that even though it would use Hizbullah north of the Litani river in an hour of need, the newspaper reports that military leaders are of the opinion that ultimately the responsibility of defending Lebanon will be theirs and not Hizbullah's. Military commanders also doubt the need for 15,000 UNIFIL soldiers to deploy in Lebanon as is specified in UN Security Council resolution 1701.
The paper also reported that there is already a plan to upgrade the army throughout the next three years. The plan would allow the army to obtain better defensive capabilities with foreign aid: Saudi Arabia is to pledge USD 500 million dollars, Kuwait will give USD 300 million and the United Arab Emirates have also expressed an interest in the matter.
