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Difficult Decisions for Hizballah

[Al-Hayat-Lebanon] Raghida Dergham - For years, Hizballah resisted the deployment of the Lebanese army in the South; this week, it finally agreed to the idea that the government would send 15,000 troops to the South. But Hizballah has not yet ceded that authority over the South rests with the state alone. Nor has it taken the only step that would put an end to the war: surrendering its weapons to the state. On no condition will the Security Council bless Hizballah if it keeps its weapons. War with Israel is a decision that should only be taken by a sovereign state. Hizballah must give up the authority it has robbed from the state, and return it willingly by taking concrete steps that go beyond the rhetoric of Hassan Nasrallah's speeches. Hizballah should give up its weapons to the state, the militias should be disbanded, and they should be integrated into the regular army, without conditions or bargaining.
2006-08-11 01:00:00
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