Washington will not wait beyond December 31

Amal Shamouni wrote in “Calling of the Homeland”: The United States has shown great interest in the recent Lebanese developments, and considered that Lebanon is going through a decisive moment. The American sources, which welcomed the result of the cabinet session held on September 5 in terms of discussing the plan of the army commander Rodolph Heikal to limit the arms in the hands of the state, indicated that Washington will provide strong support to the Lebanese government in light of the escalation of regional tensions and continuous confrontations.

She pointed out that Washington’s position stems from its knowledge of the repercussions of this plan and the steps resulting from the Lebanese stability and the establishment of the state’s sovereignty in order to enhance the operational capabilities of the army. The sources described the decisions of the Lebanese government that started with the issuance of August 5, the last of which was on September 5 as the mission and unprecedented and established to integrate the Lebanese groups outside the country’s cloak in a broader social framework that the law shall be shaded, which reflects an important shift towards confirming the state’s control in light of the complex reality of internal and external pressures.
Washington’s interest in these developments started from the top of the pyramid. President Donald Trump, who is proud of his Lebanese friends, was captured that he is personally interested in positive transformations in Lebanon, and gave clear directives to support the Lebanese government strongly for its measures aimed at facing Iranian influence, especially by putting an end to Hizbullah.
In the same context, the recent statements issued by US officials, including White House deputy spokesman Anna Kelly, and the Senoran Jim Rish, Jin Shaheen and Congress member Joe Wilson, confirm Washington’s commitment to strengthening stability in Lebanon by urging the removal of all illegal weapons, especially the “Hezbollah” weapon.
On the other hand, US military sources pointed out that the army will move within the limits of its capabilities and that the American side will seek to help it to maintain the necessary flexibility to adapt according to the necessity in an effort to consolidate the state’s authority over the weapons that escaped. The source said that the Lebanese army is facing great obligations to achieve a balance between preserving sovereignty and managing internal and external threats.
In this context, the importance of the United States’s response to the changing political scene in Lebanon. White House spokeswoman, Anna Kelly, explained the Trump administration’s procedures aimed at facing the influence of Iran’s agents, especially Hizbullah. The sanctions strategies targeting major figures linked to the “party” and those in its orbit show an American commitment to limiting Iran’s influence in the region.
Meanwhile, US Senate Jim Rish and Jane Shaheen expressed their concerns about the Hizbullah weapon, and praised the progress made by the Lebanese government towards disarming the militias. Their statement strengthens the consensus of the party in Washington (Republican and Democrat), that Lebanon’s stability depends on the end of the militia’s control. The Senate members ’acknowledgment of the Cabinet’s decision regarding disarmament reflects optimism and caution at the same time, stressing the need to take concrete measures to avoid any slide into chaos.
Although some in Washington consider this development a positive step for Lebanon, but such interpretations ignore a fundamental fact: the absence of a decisive government strategy is undermined any real progress in the disarmament of “Hezbollah”. Some sources point out that this frequency suggests that official Lebanon may prefer that Israel take measures against the disarmament of “Hezbollah” instead of pushing the Lebanese army, the US -financier, to impose its authority within its borders. From here they call for an effective change in terms of urgent need for escalating diplomatic pressure from the United States and other countries.