The statement by US envoy Tom Barrack regarding the necessity of Hezbollah’s participation in any settlement or negotiations in Lebanon raised the ire and concern of those banking on the US administration and relying on its strength against other parties in Lebanon and a large segment of the Lebanese people.
In this context, former Deputy Prime Minister and MP for the Lebanese Forces party, Ghassan Hasbani, addressed what he described as an “open letter to Mr. Tom Barrack,” stating: “I followed closely your recent interview in which you suggested negotiating directly with Hezbollah as the actual decision-maker. This brought to mind a conversation we had during your last visit to Lebanon, where we discussed the same topic from the same angle.”
He added: “Thank you for your continuous interest in Lebanon and your affection for it, which prompts me to repeat what I previously told you directly: The reality of the Lebanese situation is that there is an elected legitimate authority that uniquely holds the right to make decisions in the name of the state and the Lebanese people, regardless of what the positions and actions of forces imposed on the ground may suggest.”
He stated that Lebanon is not a state without authority or institutions, but rather a state with a legitimate authority and elected constitutional institutions that alone hold decision-making power. Therefore, any solution must pass through the Lebanese state and its legitimate institutions that express the will of the Lebanese people, not by granting parallel legitimacy to those who reject the state’s decisions, stage a coup against the constitution, and possess Iranian weapons—as he put it.
He added: “As for your statement that Hezbollah is stronger than the Lebanese Army, it suggests that your reading of the field facts in Lebanon is still based on data that has changed since this idea was previously presented to you.”
Source: Al-Manar English Website