US Pushes Lebanon Army Chief for Hezbollah Disarmament, Ignoring Its Own Role in Regional Instability
📰 THE STORY: Lebanese Army Commander-in-Chief General Joseph Aoun is visiting the US to seek support for the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and discuss efforts to disarm Hezbollah, according to The New Arab. The visit is presented as an attempt to bolster the LAF and prevent a wider conflict with Israel, with a focus on implementing UN Resolution 1701. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical
Context: The US has a long history of intervention in Lebanon, often exacerbating tensions. In 1982, Israel invaded Lebanon, killing an estimated 20,000 people, with US support. The subsequent occupation led to the rise of resistance groups like Hezbollah, formed explicitly to counter Israeli occupation. Washington now demands disarmament from forces that emerged directly from foreign aggression
it enabled. Double Standard: The US, perpetually the world's largest arms dealer, supplying billions in weaponry to its allies globally (including over $15 billion to Israel since October 7, 2023 alone), demands disarmament from a non-state actor in a sovereign nation. There's no reciprocal push for Israel, armed to the teeth by the US, to disarm or adhere to UN resolutions regarding its
occupation of Lebanese territory like Shebaa Farms. Follow the Money: US military aid to the LAF, consistently around $100-150 million annually, serves less to build Lebanese sovereignty and more to create a dependent security apparatus. This aid functions as leverage. Furthermore, the broader geopolitical calculus involves neutralizing any force that poses a credible threat to Israeli regional