Lebanese ministerial statement allows Hezbollah to keep arms

Lebanese Ministerial Policy Statement was adopted on Thursday, which allowed Hezbollah to keep its arms, the country's official National News Agency reported.

The 12 members committee tasked of drafting the statement agreed to adopt the same clause approved by the previous cabinet over the arms of the resistance, referring to Hezbollah, which allowed the group to maintain their arms in hand to resist Israel, said the report.

Meanwhile, the statement insisted on Lebanon's right to free Israel-occupied Shebaa Farms, Kfarshuba Hills and the occupied part of the Ghajar village.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri would contact President Michel Suleiman to fix a date to hold the cabinet session to ratify the statement, according to the report.

The policy statement, which served as the political agenda of the Lebanese cabinet, had been delayed by the issue of Hezbollah's arms, added the report.

The UN Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war, demanded that Hezbollah be disarmed. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon reiterated in the latest report on the implementation of Resolution 1701 that all militants in Lebanon, especially Hezbollah, should be disarmed immediately.

However, Hezbollah, a group holding well-equipped and trained military, has made it clear its arms are not up for debate. The armed group now holds two portfolios in the new cabinet.

Source: Xinhua