MintCast
Lebanon Under Siege with Ghadi Francis: Inside Israel's Plan to Disarm Hezbollah
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Fresh from its success in overthrowing the government of Syria and the assassination of the prime minister of Yemen, the U.S.-Israeli alliance has its sights set on a new target: Hezbollah.
Last week, the United States government sent $230 million in military aid to the Lebanese Army. This enormous weapons package was green lit with one objective: to dismantle Hezbollah as a force capable of resisting Israeli attacks.
In September, the Lebanese government rubber-stamped the Trump administration's plan to disarm the civilian-military organization, which holds 15 seats in the Lebanese parliament.
Returning to the MintCast to discuss the tense political situation in her native Lebanon is Ghadi Francis. Ghadi Francis is an author, journalist, and war correspondent who has covered the political situation across West Asia in great detail.
Hezbollah, of course, has shown no interest in unilaterally laying down its weapons, knowing what happened to other groups that disarmed. In 1982, after the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, the Palestinian Liberation Organization agreed, as part of the peace treaty, to give up its arms. What immediately followed were the Sabra and Shatila massacres, where Israeli forces slaughtered thousands of Palestinian civilians in Lebanon. And after Colonel Gaddafi agreed to destroy his weapons of mass destruction, Libya was bombed, invaded, and overthrown. Today, the country lies in ruins, as different radical, Western-backed factions vie for power.
Hezbollah has also proven itself to be the only force in Lebanon with both the desire and the ability to resist Israeli aggression. While the Lebanese military meekly accepted Israeli attacks, Hezbollah fought back. Thus, it is far from clear whether the Lebanese Army will be willing and able to carry out the mission the Trump administration has paid it to do. What is certain, though, is that any moves against Hezbollah could trigger a bloodbath inside the country.
Francis told Adley today that neutralizing Hezbollah has long been a dream of Washington, but one that is far easier said than done:
Here in Lebanon, the idea of the disarmament of Hezbollah has been going around by the U.S. and its pawns in Lebanese politics for over a decade. It has actually been there since the start of Hezbollah in the 1980s, because anybody who is armed against Israel is always cornered by U.S. policies."
Last September, Israel carried out a successful assassination strike against Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah. Yet the organization was not broken, and remains a force to be reckoned with inside Lebanon. Francis noted that, since the assassination, it has bided its time and "laid low".
Ghadi Francis is one of the most principled and incisive voices covering Lebanon in English. Keep up to date with recent events in the country by watching the full interview, only at MintPress News.
Mnar Adley is an award-winning journalist and editor and is the founder and director of MintPress News. She is also president and director of the non-profit media organization Behind the Headlines. Adley also co-hosts the MintCast podcast and is a producer and host of the video series Behind The Headlines. Contact Mnar at email protected or follow her on Twitter at @mnarmuh.