March 14 Criticizes Suleiman's Proposal to Place Hizbullah Arsenal under Army Command as Vague

President Michel Suleiman's national defense strategy proposal allows Hizbullah to keep its weapons but place them under the command of the Lebanese army, a vision that has drawn the criticism of the March 14 opposition alliance, media reports said Friday.

The arms of the resistance would be used by the state until the army is well equipped to take over all defense responsibilities, Suleiman told rival Lebanese leaders during a national dialogue session held at Baabda Palace on Thursday.

But the blueprint wasn't welcomed by the opposition coalition. Deputy Speaker Farid Makari told Suleiman during the session that his vision doesn’t give clear answers on whether Hizbullah's arms will remain an independent entity that work under the command of the state or be handed over to the state.

Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc leader Fouad Saniora also told the conferees that “the state should assume the command of the arms. Full stop.”

March 14 general-secretariat coordinator Fares Soaid told An Nahar newspaper on Friday that the only authority should be the Constitution that emanates from the Taef Accord.

Suleiman's blueprint contradicts with the Constitution which does not recognize the resistance, he said.

“The Constitution is clear. The state and its institutions have the sole responsibility to defend Lebanon,” Soaid told the daily.

On the other hand, if Suleiman's attempt “is a first step toward the full implementation of the Constitution, then we consider it the start of the right track,” he said.

Suleiman's blueprint further calls for forcing Israel to implement U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 and for taking all necessary steps to liberate Lebanese territories occupied by the Jewish state.

But Soaid said the liberation of the territories should first come by Syria's recognition that the lands belong to Lebanon following the demarcation of the common border.

“That's why there is no further need to overburden Lebanon with the recognition of the resistance,” he said.

We reject the Lebanese government’s policy statement that gives the right of "Lebanon, its government, its people, its army and its resistance" to liberate all Lebanese territory, Soaid added.