Hezbollah is on the verge of becoming a sanctioned state-within-a-state. A draft policy statement expected to win formal approval of Lebanon’s cabinet will support the “right of Lebanon’s people, the Army and the Resistance to liberate all its territories.” The Daily Telegraph explains:
“What does the right of resistance mean? It means the right to hold weapons in the South. It means the right to move weapons across the Syrian border and all around the country. It means the right to operate a private telecommunications network. This makes Hizbollah a state within a state.”
Because Hizbollah is an “Iranian tool”, added Mr Chedid, Lebanon’s government has lost the power to decide on peace or war.
If you listen carefully, you can hear the whoosh of Security Council resolution 1701 and the UN’s credibility flying out the window together.