Newly elected Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam gave a speech today (Tuesday) following a meeting with President Joseph Aoun, in which he outlined his government's policy regarding Israel, Hezbollah, and southern Lebanon.
Salam said that Lebanon would be committed to UN Resolution 1701 and all the articles of the ceasefire agreement, which include the disarmament of all forces in southern Lebanon outside of the official Lebanese Army, which has begun to take over control of the area following gradual IDF withdrawals.
Salam also said that Lebanon would force "the enemy" - meaning Israel - to withdraw from every piece of occupied land in Lebanon, ruling out the IDF's hope of retaining a number of unoccupied but strategic positions along the border which provide a vantage point into southern Lebanon, even after the 60-day deadline for withdrawal had passed.
Salam also said that Lebanon would work to impose its sovereignty throughout all of Lebanese territory with its independent forces as established by the Taif agreement, signed after the Second Lebanese War in 1989.
While the Taif agreement pushed for the disarmament of all national and non-national militias, it allowed Hezbollah to remain in place as a "resistance" force, and it is unclear whether Salam intends to move to disarm Hezbollah this time, as well.
Nawaf Salam left his position as President of the International Court of Justice in the Hague to become Lebanese Prime Minister, a position he'd sought twice before in the past without success.
He has been sharply criticized by supporters of Israel as a biased judge while handling the "genocide" claim put forward by South Africa and joined by other countries several months ago.
Among other arguments, Salam repeatedly accused Israel of committing "apartheid," and his current labeling of Israel as "the enemy" is unlikely to change minds on this matter.
0 Comments