After his meeting with the President of the Republic, General Joseph Aoun, at Baabda Palace, Representative Michel Moawad announced his full support for the decisions of the Council of Ministers, and indicated that the coming hours may witness clear signs that the state will begin to implement its decision related to addressing the issue of illegal weapons and activating the principle of restricting weapons to the state through practical steps.
Moawad explained that his visit aims to support the state and its constitutional institutions, stressing that the reality indicates that an armed entity crossed all red lines and launched an attack on Israel by launching missiles and drones, an act that does not achieve any significant military benefit but inflicts heavy costs on Lebanon, the state and its people.
He added that what is happening goes beyond a mere military escalation, but rather is “an adventure that puts Lebanon at risk of destruction and displacement and expands the circle of fire,” noting that the Lebanese, especially the residents of the south, the Bekaa, and the suburbs, are the most affected by the consequences of any open confrontation, as they bear the consequences of decisions they did not participate in making.
He pointed out that despite the targeting of military and security leaders during the past months, the option of a comprehensive response was not resorted to in recognition of the danger of sliding into a wide-scale war and the absence of a balance of power, warning that any expansion of the confrontation would lead to more destruction that Lebanon cannot bear.
In this context, Moawad affirmed his support for the state in the project of restoring full sovereignty and monopoly of arms and restricting the decision of peace and war to the state alone, in order to protect all the Lebanese, considering that the recent Cabinet decision represents an important turning point, especially with regard to affirming the extension of state authority over the entire Lebanese territory, considering any military activity outside its framework to be in violation of the law, and assigning the Lebanese army to carry out the mission in accordance with its constitutional powers.
He said: “The decision has been made to be the sole reference state, but the real challenge remains in implementation. The continued launching of missiles from Lebanese territory exposes the country to more dangers, and must stop immediately. There are responsibilities that must be determined, military structures that must be dismantled, weapons that must be handed over, and a national decision that must be restored.”
He addressed the President of the Republic, saying that the task is difficult, but less costly than “watching Lebanon burn and be destroyed,” stressing that protecting the residents of the south, the Bekaa, the suburbs, and the rest of the Lebanese from sliding into a comprehensive war requires implementing the sovereign decision without hesitation.
In response to a question about the possibility of implementing government decisions, Moawad explained that he would not disclose the details of what happened in the meeting, leaving the President of the Republic to express his positions, but he stressed that “the state must return to a state in every sense of the word, not to be satisfied with containing crises, but to exercise decision-making and implementation authority.”
He concluded by noting that indicators will appear in the coming hours indicating the start of the actual implementation of the decision, and revealed preliminary information related to dealing with the illegal weapons file, including steps towards dismantling some weapons stores, provided that the official announcement and details remain within the jurisdiction of the concerned authorities.
He stressed, “The process has begun, and the decision has not remained a dead letter. When the state decides, it must implement it, and this is the real test at this stage.”
