The abused military has planned to dismantle Lebanon’s former dominant forces by this Sunday and is tasked with carrying out it by the end of the year, National News reported Friday.
The Army Chief argued that his agency did not want Hezbollah to face directly, and emphasized that it would be “unrealistic” to devise such a plan without cooperation from the group.
“The Army was not satisfied with the process and General Rodolph Heykal threatened to step down at some point,” said a security official with direct knowledge of the matter.
“He hopes the government will pursue a comprehensive agreement and avoid placing the troops in direct conflict with Lebanese groups and other factions,” he added.
“President Joseph Own, a former Army commander, appears to have a better understanding of the complexity of the military than the government.”
This week, when US Tom Barrack and Morgan Ortags surprised Lebanese officials, the Army announced plans and said they could not guarantee Israel’s de-expansion before they began collecting Hezbollah’s weapons.
Despite resistance from Shia ministers, the Lebanese government voted to advance Hezbollah’s disarmament, planned and appointed the Army, hoping for a mutual step from Israel.
Hezbollah argues that Israel must first withdraw from the south and halt the attack before disarmament debate begins. However, the US warns that unless Lebanon goes ahead and dismantles the group, it will not receive financial aid or recovered relationships.
rhm/