Saudi Arabia 'Re-Engages' Lebanon, Demands Hezbollah Disarmament
The New Arab reports Saudi Arabia is 'testing the waters' with Lebanon, with deeper engagement contingent on curbing Hezbollah’s influence and a drug crackdown. This is less an olive branch and more an attempt to outsource Saudi Arabia's security concerns to a cash-strapped nation. (Funny how 'regional stability' always requires others to disarm while Riyadh keeps buying billions in US weaponry.)
Washington, meanwhile, cheers on this 'diplomacy,' despite a proven track record of destabilizing Lebanon by supporting one faction over another, culminating in past civil strife. Historically, Saudi 'engagements' have often involved backing specific Lebanese political factions, exacerbating sectarian divisions, and withdrawing aid when its proxies don't dominate. Recall the 2017 abduction of
Lebanese PM Saad Hariri in Riyadh ( Middle East Institute ), designed to strong-arm Lebanon. Now they demand Lebanon dismantle Hezbollah, a group that is also a political party elected by a significant portion of its citizens. How many times must Lebanon be pressured to fight proxy wars for regional players, only to be left to pick up the pieces?