Nawaf Salam takes center stage against Hezbollah

For the past week, social media has been flooded with praise for Nawaf Salam. It was the prime minister — backed by President Joseph Aoun — who pushed the Cabinet to set a year-end deadline for Hezbollah’s disarmament and to endorse the goals of U.S. envoy Tom Barrack’s plan, which aligns with that objective.This move allowed the prime minister to establish himself as a leading figure in the effort to disarm Hezbollah, in line with the wishes of a large segment of public opinion and the international community. Salam has also managed to step out from the president’s shadow — a card he could play to satisfy his (potential) political ambitions, especially now that he has, unsurprisingly, become the number one adversary of Hezbollah’s popular base.From the Baabda podium, after the pivotal Aug. 5 Cabinet session, Salam responded to months of...