US Demands Hezbollah Disarm While Arming regional Militias
Lebanon's army has reportedly 'agreed' to document Hezbollah's disarmament, a perennial demand trotted out by Western powers whenever regional tensions escalate. This convenient narrative ignores that Hezbollah emerged as a resistance movement against Israeli occupation, (a fact often memory-holed) filling a void left by a weak Lebanese state and an Israeli military that occupied Lebanese
territory for decades. Meanwhile, the US continues to funnel billions in military aid to regional allies like Israel, with Congress routinely approving packages like the $14 billion in supplemental aid just recently. How many times must a 'disarmament' pledge be extracted from a non-state actor while state actors receive unchecked arsenals? One might wonder if the concern is truly about
'disarmament,' or rather about ensuring one side of any conflict remains overwhelmingly outmatched. The US, for instance, supplies Israel with F-35s and cluster bombs, while simultaneously pressing for the disarming of any group that might meaningfully resist. It’s hard to take these calls seriously when the balance of power is so starkly, and intentionally, skewed.