Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Monday that the Lebanese army is not required to be placed in confrontation with any Lebanese party [1, 2].
This stance is critical as Lebanon navigates deep internal political divisions. By attempting to keep the military neutral, the government seeks to prevent the armed forces from splitting along sectarian or political lines, which could destabilize the nation's primary security institution.
Salam said the army must maintain neutrality to avoid internal fractures [2]. He said the military should not be used as a tool for confrontation between domestic factions, prioritizing the stability of the force over immediate political disputes.
Despite this approach to the military's operational role, the Prime Minister maintained a firm position on the legality of arms. Salam said the decision to restrict the possession of weapons to the state is a policy that will not be reversed [2].
This creates a complex balancing act for the administration. While the government asserts that only the state should hold weapons, it simultaneously cautions against using the army to forcibly implement that monopoly if it leads to direct conflict with local groups [1, 2].
Reports from other outlets suggest the army continues to face internal and external pressures to implement government decisions [3]. These pressures may potentially force the military to take positions regarding internal dissensions, despite the Prime Minister's expressed desire to avoid such confrontations [3].
“"It is not required to put the army in confrontation with any Lebanese party,"”
The Prime Minister's rhetoric highlights a precarious tension between the legal mandate of the state and the practical reality of armed factions in Lebanon. By insisting on the state's monopoly on weapons while simultaneously shielding the army from confronting those who hold them, the administration is attempting to maintain a fragile peace. This strategy aims to preserve the Lebanese army as a unifying national institution, though it risks appearing as a compromise on the enforcement of state law.
