Lebanese Government: Nothing but Words

By Hicham Bou Nassif | Weinberg Associate Professor of International Relations and the Middle East and George R. Roberts Fellow at Claremont McKenna College-California

The repeated statements of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam about his government’s commitment to oath of office and implementing international decisions that mandate the restriction of arms in Lebanon to its legitimate authorities are commendable. However, the issue is that so far, we have only seen words from Salam.

What is missing is the pairing of words with action, or at the very least, a clear timeline for the withdrawal of all illegal arms in Lebanon, starting from the arms of Shia fundamentalists to Palestinian arms in the camps.

Months have passed since Salam was tasked with forming the first government under Joseph Aoun’s presidency. What are they waiting for to answer the central question currently in our public life: When will the Lebanese Army and security forces become the sole armed authority on our national soil?

The immediate problem facing Lebanon today is starkly clear: the Shia refusal to hand over arms remains vehement, as indicated by the positions of Hezbollah, Amal Movement, Jaafari Mufti and Shia ministers in the government, such as Tamara Zein. At best, Shia extremists talk about withdrawing arms only from the South, although the seriousness of their commitment to even this is questionable, evidenced by the rockets fired at Israel in recent days. Resolving the sustained Shia rebellion against the state requires breaking it. This means tasking the Army with confiscating any illegal arms depot in any region of Lebanon and issuing orders to shoot anyone who obstructs them in carrying out their mission. This kind of decisiveness was shown by King Hussein in Jordan in 1970 during the events of “Black September,” which were in fact “White September,” because they prevented saboteurs from destroying Jordan as they later destroyed Lebanon.

We are, of course, aware of the role played at that time by Lebanese prime ministers, especially Rashid Karami. What is not clear, however, is this: Is Nawaf Salam another Rashid Karami, or does he have some of the courage of King Hussein?

As citizens, it is our right to know. It is our right for the authorities to be transparent with us about a clear plan regarding the arms issue so that we can hold them accountable based on their commitments. Some will say that using the Army against fundamentalists will lead the country into civil war. In reality, civil wars generally erupt in weak states and nothing weakens the state, or even negates its very reason for existence, more than illegal arms. Restricting arms to legitimate authorities is a prerequisite for civil peace, and the real civil war is the continuation of the current stalemate indefinitely.

Some will also say that using the Army against fundamentalists will divide it. The answer: So be it. It is better for part of our officers and soldiers to side with their country than for all of them to turn their backs on Lebanon under the pretext of preserving their unity. Ultimately, the Army serves Lebanon, not the other way around. Therefore, it is unacceptable to give the fundamentalist tumor a chance to grow again for the sake of officers and elements driven by sectarian solidarity with their group’s militia, assuming their existence.

Some might say, finally, that all Shia want arms and will rise to defend if the state moves. The answer: Let the Shia have their state then, and let the Lebanese have another state. Let there be a divorce. Yes: Let there be a divorce. It is better for everyone, and more logical, than imposing Shia arms on Christian, Sunni, and Druze components that cannot tolerate it.

Some will object to this talk on the grounds that there are other issues in the country that need to be addressed besides the sectarian balance and Shia arms, such as fighting corruption. This is utter nonsense because reform is impossible as long as arms remain. No one is saying that there are no issues in plundered Lebanon other than the issue of the Khomeinist Shia, but it is certain that no solution to our problems is possible as long as their arms remain.

Therefore, anyone who prioritizes any issue other than arms today is a useful idiot.

Also, anyone who dreams of economic recovery and foreign aid in the presence of arms is delusional.

Any official who is content with cursing arms without moving to eliminate them from the equation on the ground is suspicious.

Additionally, the conditional popular support for the current era will not last long if it appears that its first government is floundering with nothing but words, like Majida El Roumi’s song: “I have nothing but words.”

This article was originally published in Arabic by Nida al-Watan on 24 March 2025. The original can be found here.

The views expressed in this op-ed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of SyriacPress.