Can Lebanon actually disarm Hezbollah?

In a renewed sign of Hezbollah's weakness, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has insisted in a statement today (Tuesday) that Hezbollah will disarm and its members be incorporated in the official state army.

According to his statement:

"I aspire that in 2025 we will succeed in reaching a situation where weapons will be only in the hands of the state.

"The decision regarding the disarmament of Hezbollah has already been made. There is an agreement on this matter between me and Nabih Berri, the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament and head of the Shiite Amal Movement.

"Now what remains is to establish the mechanism for implementing this matter - which will happen through dialogue between Hezbollah and me.

"We will not repeat the Iraqi experience of absorbing armed militias as an independent unit within the army and we will not absorb Hezbollah as an independent unit in the Lebanese army. Hezbollah activists will be able to join the Lebanese army after they complete appropriate courses and training, as happened with activists from other parties in Lebanon in the past.'

The Beirut police have also ordered the removal of Hezbollah flags from the streets of the capital, in a further sign of not only the military but also the political weakness of the once dominant terrorist organization.

Whether Aoun will succeed in his effort remains an open question.