Hezbollah must not be allowed to destroy Lebanon

The clashes that took place on the border between Syria and Lebanon this week were not the first of their kind. But the announcement of a ceasefire between the two countries following two days of deadly cross-border clashes had a different tone to it. Historically, the Lebanese Armed Forces have rarely shelled Syrian positions directly, even less those of the Syrian army. This time, the clashes were direct.

We live in a rapidly changing world. Between 2012 and 2014, Syrian artillery and airstrikes hit Arsal and other Lebanese border towns, with Damascus accusing them of harboring rebels. This time, the Syrian artillery was firing because of Hezbollah. Syria accused Hezbollah of abducting and killing three Syrian soldiers near the border west of Homs. According to the Syrian authorities, the soldiers were kidnapped, taken across the border and then executed.

In the past, when Bashar Assad was in power, the Lebanese army focused mainly on containing any spillover and “policing” the situation. It would secure villages and sometimes clash with the rebels the Syrian army was targeting. It would seldom engage the Syrian forces. There was minimal retaliatory fire. But this time was different.

There is a new regime in Syria and a new leadership in Lebanon. The ceasefire was brokered by Lebanese Defense Minister Michel Menassa and his Syrian counterpart, Murhaf Abu Qasra, who ensured the bodies of the three Syrian soldiers were returned to the Syrian authorities. The clashes had resulted in at least 10 deaths over the preceding days.

Syria accused Hezbollah of abducting and killing three Syrian soldiers near the border west of Homs

Khaled Abou Zahr

It was Lebanese President Joseph Aoun who ordered the Lebanese army to respond to the sources of fire. And there is no doubt that preserving and defending the sovereignty of the country is his duty. The same resolve and determination now need to be applied domestically, including arresting and bringing to justice those that conducted the raid into Syria.

Even if, as some reports suggest, the Syrian soldiers had crossed the border into Lebanon, it would be the responsibility of the Lebanese Armed Forces alone to act. And President Aoun has shown his will and capacity to act. Moreover, there is no doubt that the army would have dealt with any incursion professionally and lives would have been spared.

This is why it is important to bring order within the borders of Lebanon. As Aoun declared in his inaugural speech, there can be only one sovereign voice in the country. Hezbollah cannot be left to operate unchecked, as it is now clear that not only can the group create destruction from the south, but also from the north.

There is animosity among the new Syrian leadership and the Syrian people against Hezbollah. Let us not forget that, during the Syrian civil war — on the orders of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps — Hezbollah played a key role in supporting the Assad regime and committed war crimes and human rights violations along the way. It was implicated in massacres and sectarian killings in Al-Qusayr in 2013. Hezbollah also participated in prolonged sieges, notably in Madaya and Zabadani, where starvation tactics were used against civilians. Moreover, it was involved in the forced displacement of Sunni-majority populations. The group engaged in torture as well as indiscriminate shelling, with a will to hit civilians.

This is why, despite the ceasefire, tensions will remain high. And the same can be said of Lebanon’s south. In recent weeks, Israel has conducted multiple airstrikes, targeting Hezbollah fighters and infrastructure. According to reports, several Hezbollah members have been killed, including in drone strikes near Kfar Kila and Borj El-Mlouk.

The group is facing decrepitude. But it can still bring meaningful, long-term destruction to Lebanon

Khaled Abou Zahr

It is now clear that Hezbollah is cornered and is trying to do the same to Lebanon once again. It is also clear to Hezbollah and the IRGC that their capacity to act has been destroyed. With their supply lines from Syria closed and any air support under closer surveillance, the group is facing decrepitude. It is no longer able to conduct any meaningful, long-term military campaigns. But it can still bring meaningful, long-term destruction to Lebanon.

Moreover, the risks of a spillover and outside interference grow every day. If Hezbollah is left unchecked, then we may have to ask — in this changed geopolitical environment — how long it will be before local groups seek foreign support to face it. This would lead to a new civil war that could destroy Lebanon once and for all. This is why Aoun needs to build national support and a clear path needs to be laid out for the surrender of Hezbollah’s arsenal. There can be only one army; there can be only one sovereign voice.

Moreover, Hezbollah and all collaborators with the Assad regime need to be brought to justice. Lebanon needs to do what it failed to do in 2005, when Syrian troops exited the country: an equivalent of the Vichy trials in France following the Second World War. Lebanon has a new leadership, but in reality it needs a new political system. And this can only be done if those responsible for treason and violent crimes are brought to justice.

What is clear for now is that the dangers circling the country will not wait for too long. And Hezbollah cannot be allowed to draw Lebanon into the equation of “upon me and upon my enemies.” Moreover, it is for Lebanon’s leadership to act swiftly against Hezbollah, as this is the only way to impose full sovereignty and warn others of the country’s resolve.

• Khaled Abou Zahr is the founder of SpaceQuest Ventures, a space-focused investment platform. He is CEO of EurabiaMedia and editor of Al-Watan Al-Arabi.