Lebanese president provokes outcry with Hezbollah comment
President Michel Aoun stated in an interview that Lebanon needs Hezbollah’s arms to defend the country from potential Israeli aggression, stirring harsh criticism from his political opponents.
Lebanese President Michel Aoun’s description of Hezbollah’s weapons as complementary to those of the Lebanese army provoked strong reactions on the part of the United Nations, the March 14 coalition and the Future Movement, which is headed by Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri.
In an interview with Egypt's CBC during his visit to Cairo Feb. 12, Aoun said, “As long as Israel continues to occupy lands and the Lebanese army is not strong enough to stand up to it, we feel the need to have the resistance army as a complement to the Lebanese army's actions.”
Aoun said, “The resistance’s arms are not contrary to the state project; otherwise we could have not tolerated it. It is an essential part of Lebanon’s defense."
“Hezbollah represents the people of the south. They are the inhabitants of the land who defend themselves when Israel tries to occupy or threaten them,” Aoun said, noting, “It is no longer an urgent matter to discuss the need to strip Hezbollah of its weapons, because Israel continues to occupy our lands and is seeking to take over Lebanon’s waters,” a reference to the Shebaa Farms and Kfar Shuba hills areas that have been occupied by Israel since 1967.
