Salam: Arms monopoly decision won't be reversed, no need to put army in confrontation with any party
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam noted Monday that the country has been placed on "a new path," and that implementing the Beirut demilitarization decision will take "weeks and months" but will be eventually implemented.
There will be "no turning back" on the decision, Salam stressed, calling for strengthening security measures in Beirut and deterring violators.
In remarks following a meeting of the Central Security Council at the Ministry of Interior, Salam added: "We wish they could have been implemented faster, but these are our capabilities."
Regarding negotiations with Israel, he stated that there are no negotiations yet, only preliminary meetings.
Salam also affirmed that there is no need to place the army in a confrontation with any Lebanese party.
Meetings in Washington will continue until a ceasefire is reached, he said.
Salam can choose "when", but at some point, the LAF will be needed to arrest individuals the government deems as being out of compliance with the arms monopoly decision. That won't require "a confrontation with any Lebanese (political) party", but it will required controversial action on the government's part .. which, no doubt, will be met with confrontational speeches and declarations from the leaders of Hezbollah .. (if we are to believe their words on the topic, since).
Salam can maintain that the right time isn't now. But he cannot realistically maintain that the conflict with Hezbollah will not take place ... to do so strains credibility, which is what Lebanese need most from government now and going forward.