24 June 2015
The government, already crippled by a rift over the appointment of senior security and military officers, is facing a new test over Lebanons participation in a proposed joint Arab force, with a number of ministers and officials supporting this participation and others opposing it.
However, the paralysis in the legislative branch of power, notwithstanding its negative effects, has provided a proper solution to a crisis that could have hit Lebanon and would have deepened divisions among the various political parties if the approval of draft laws by Parliament was accessible, according to sources familiar with details relating to the matter.
The sources said the Foreign Ministry had made remarks on the draft protocol to establish a region-wide military force aimed at combating terrorism, particularly ISIS, which was approved at the Arab summit at the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on March 28-29, focusing essentially on the failure to define terrorism.
However, Arab military chiefs of staff who met in Cairo on April 22 and May 24 approved the draft protocol without taking Lebanons remarks into account.
Defense Minister Samir Moqbel said last week that Lebanon has missed a deadline to respond to a proposal to participate in the joint Arab force due to the paralysis in state institutions. He said Lebanon would need a functioning government before it could decide to accept, amend or reject the proposal.
The Cabinet plunged into paralysis earlier this month after it failed to agree on the contentious issue of security and military appointments. Parliament has also been unable to meet since last November over a lack of quorum to elect a president or approve urgent draft bills.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi has been pushing for the creation of the force since February, after a video emerged showing ISIS killing a group of Coptic Christians in neighboring Libya. The idea gained momentum after Saudi Arabia and its Western-backed Arab allies launched airstrikes on Iran-backed Shiite Houthi rebels in Yemen. The Arab League agreed in March to set up the force, with members given four months to decide on its composition, precise rules of engagement and budget.
The sources said the problem over terrorism has been further complicated by the U.S. State Departments annual report on terrorism in the world which labeled Hezbollah as one of the most notorious terrorist organizations.
The report reiterated the U.S. position that Hezbollah, which gets important support from Iran, is still the strongest terrorist organization in Lebanon where it enjoys popular support among Shiite Lebanese and some Christians.
Based on the U.S. labeling of Hezbollah, the sources said that some countries, which revolve in the U.S. and Western orbit in general, might brand the party as part of terrorist organizations and consider it to be a direct threat to the pan-Arab security.
This will not be accepted by either the Hezbollah command or the Lebanese Foreign Ministry, which demanded adding a clause to the Arab force draft protocol that would adopt the version of the anti-terror Arab agreement. That agreement stressed that various means of struggle, including the armed struggle, against foreign occupation and aggression, and to attain freedom and self-determination, are not to be considered a crime.
Although Lebanon has given its consent in principle to join the joint Arab force to protect its territories against any threats, this consent is conditional and restricted as long as it needs the Cabinets approval, the sources said. They added that unless the Foreign Ministrys remarks are taken into account, Lebanons participation in the joint Arab force is destined to be rejected.
Since Lebanons participation in the joint Arab force requires a special draft law that needs to be approved by Parliament, the absence of legislation provided a pretext for the rival parties not to delve into a new divisive issue, the sources said.
Copyright The Daily Star 2015.
