Beirut (AsiaNews) The Assembly of Maronite Bishops has publicly stated that UN resolution 1701 runs the risk of being interpreted in too ambiguous a fashion leaving Hezbollah a free hand. Although the Shia militia is never mentioned in the press release, the bishops, who have been meeting since yesterday, said that the Lebanese are still very "weary" about how the UN resolution will be interpreted. They fear that the country will come under a "dual political authority" and urge the entire population to join forces under the sole authority "of the government which enjoys the confidence of the democratically-elected parliament".
In a statement to the press released yesterday they said that the "drama the Lebanese endured during this month-long war taught them that decisions cannot be made by a dual political authority. If we do not want to lose accountability and want to prevent catastrophes from striking the country, only one authority should decide and that is the government which enjoys the confidence of the democratically-elected house".
Despite the government's hesitations and procrastination, a robust debate is underway in the country over the means to implement the UN resolution, in particular Hezbollah's disarmament.
Under the terms of the accords reached in Taif and UN resolutions, all militias must be disarmed. So far the Lebanese governmentdeeply divided over the issuehas failed to do so.
Resolution 1701 requires that only the regular Lebanese army can bear arms in the south, but Hezbollah is interpreting the requirement as being limited to "visible arms", thus maintaining its stockpiles of weapons in caches in anticipation of new wars.
In an interview to German magazine Del Spiegel, the Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Sfeir, has expressed fears over Hezbollah's power. Their power, the cardinal said, is "something we cannot accept after the war." As soon as Israel pulls out and the prisoners' exchange takes place, "Hezbollah no longer has a right to maintain its army".
In their press release, the Maronite bishops also expressed their gratitude towards Cardinal Etchegaray, papal envoy to Lebanon. "This [the cardinal's] visit," they write, "is a balm to our hearts. For our greater consolation, the Holy Father wished to accompany it with financial aid that was sent via Caritas Lebanon to be distributed according to the needs".
The bishops also thanked Cardinal McCarrick for his visit and the US Bishops' Conference for its solidarity.
