Joseph Aoun's adviser meets with Mohammad Raad

BEIRUT — The head of Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc, Mohammad Raad, met Wednesday with General Andre Rahal, adviser to President of the Republic Joseph Aoun, more than ten days after the Sept. 5 Cabinet "welcomed" the army's plan for the disarmament of militias, particularly Hezbollah.

According to a statement from Hezbollah, the two men discussed "several issues of national interest," and did so "in an atmosphere of mutual understanding," without providing further details.

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The Sept. 5 Cabinet meeting, which followed decisions made Aug. 5 and 7, during which it was decided to enforce the monopoly of weapons by the state according to a specific timeline, ultimately satisfied all parties, each seeing their own interests represented, thanks to semantic compromise.

Meanwhile, the pro-Hezbollah camp interpreted a government retreat — which no longer mentioned the end of December deadline for the disarmament to take effect (a date maintained only for disarmament south of the Litani River) — the so-called 'sovereigntist' camp welcomed the approval of a disarmament plan for Hezbollah.

On Sept. 10, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem openly rejected the principle of a monopoly on weapons by the Lebanese state, while stating that a discussion on "a national security strategy" should take place, echoing the terms used by President Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.

Qassem argued that "the government's priority should be to restore sovereignty by expelling Israel," referring to positions still occupied in southern Lebanon despite the cease-fire agreement reached between Lebanon and Israel, which took effect on Nov. 27 after more than thirteen months of war between the Shiite party and the Israeli state.

In the lead-up to the Sept. 5 Cabinet, Mohammad Raad had already received André Rahal on August 22.