Lebanese army heads south
This is a "historic decision". But there is ambiguity about the disarmament of Hezbollah. Israel has handed over control of some cities to UNIFIL troops. Reconstruction challenges must be faced now.
Beirut (AsiaNews/Agencies) This morning, at least 2,000 Lebanese army troops started to head to south Lebanon in line with UN Resolution 1701 that put an end to the Israeli-Hezbollah conflict, which lasted for over a month. The deployment of the Lebanese army in the south is held to be a "historic fact" because the area has been controlled by Hezbollah militias since the eighties. The deployment of 15,000 Lebanese troops as stipulated by the UN resolution was approved yesterday by the government of Beirut.
The Prime Minister, Fouad Siniora, said the army was going south "to defend the Lebanese nation", emphasizing that there should be no weapons other than those permitted by government authorities.
The statement could be seen as somewhat ambiguous: Hezbollah have already ruled out the idea of handing in their weapons to the army. This means they will hide them. "Just like in the past, Hezbollah had no visible military presence and there will not be any visible presence now," said militia leader, Sheikh Nabil Kaouk, in Tyre.
The Lebanese army will be flanked by an international force of 15,000 men that will increase and boost the presence of UN troops already present in the south (UNIFIL).
The Israeli forces that invaded south Lebanon have said they will leave only when the deployment of the international force is completed. Some areas occupied by Israeli military Marjayoun and Bint Jbeil have been handed over to UNIFIL troops.
Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of people, displaced during last month's bombardments and clashes, are returning to their homes in the south. The UN said 250,000 people have already gone back home. Still functioning roads are packed with cars and trucks, with long queues of traffic and jams. Among the problems that one million displaced people must now face are reconstruction and the peril posed by unexploded bombs. The government of Beirut is searching for rebuilding funds and would like to be privileged interlocutor for the population. But Hezbollah has already promised it will distribute aid in cash to completely rebuild everything that the war destroyed.
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