Discounting recent comments by President Obama's top adviser on counter-terrorism about engaging Hezbollah's "moderate" wing, a key Lebanese parliamentarian tells Fox News that the avowed terror group has no moderate side and that its political force exists only to legalize its armed militia.
Lebanese MP Nadim Gemayel was on a visit to the U.S. last week where he met with administration officials, politicians, U.N. officials and diplomats in talks about disarming Hezbollah. Gemayel is a member of the conservative Kataeb party which is part of the ruling coalition known as the March 14th Coalition.
Gemayel's father, Bashir, was Lebanon's president-elect in 1982 but was assassinated before taking office. Gemayel was only a few months old when his father was murdered. The Gemayel's are viewed as being one of the most influential Christian families in Lebanon.
Fox News: Does Hezbollah have a moderate wing and if so what role does it play?
Nadim Gemayel: From what we know in Lebanon, Hezbollah is one centralized organization with a clear agenda and platform. We haven't seen two messages coming from Hezbollah. People are free to qualify the message as they wish, but objectively, we haven't seen multiple wings inside the movement even though it has expanded institutions.
Fox News: How powerful is Hezbollah in Lebanese politics? Can a Lebanese government govern without them?
NG: Well first it is important to know that Hezbollah is strong because it is a military organization while all other political parties are not. To us from inside the country it is about who represents the Lebanese people not who has most guns and funds. In the last two legislative elections, the March 14 coalition and their allies have won a clear majority of the popular vote. Thus they are supposed to form the cabinet according to the Lebanese constitution. Hezbollah and its allies obtained less seats and thus according to normal democratic practices they were supposed to play the role of the opposition. But the March 14 coalition was compelled to include Hezbollah representatives in the cabinet in what we call in Lebanon, a national unity cabinet. In other words the parliamentary majority was forced by Hezbollah to be included in the cabinet or else.
What Hezbollah is trying to achieve by entering the government is to "legalize" their armed structure although without merging it with the Lebanese official armed forces. The incidents of May 2008, when the Hezbollah militias invaded parts of West Beirut and the districts of Alet and Shuf in Mount Lebanon because of the intention of the Government to extend the sovereignty of the state, were a warning to Lebanese politicians. In other words, at this stage, without international support any Lebanese government cannot govern against the will of a powerful armed group. If Hezbollah would remit its weapons to the Lebanese Army so that Lebanon becomes a normal country, only then the organization can be considered as a normal political party. The fact that an armed force that has members inside the legislative and all other state institutions doesn't mean that it has become a normal political party. It means that this armed force was able to place its members inside the Parliament while still a militia.
Fox News: Does Hezbollah hold influence at the U.N. Security Council since Lebanon now sits on the Security Council?
NG: Any armed group that influences the Lebanese Government inside the country of course can and it is influencing its foreign policy. The United Nations Security Council issued two relevant resolutions calling on all militias to disarm, UN Security Council resolutions 1559 and 1701. If any Lebanese Government wants to implement these resolutions it has two choices. Either proceed with the disarming, and that is impossible in Lebanon, because this armed groups and its allies are stronger than the state. Or the Lebanese Government will have to negotiate with the armed group, and in this case the latter has no interest in disarming. It is no secret that the Lebanese Government with Hezbollah part of it, cannot ask the United Nations for help. In that sense it is a fact that Hezbollah can influence Lebanon's diplomacy including at the United Nations. The fact that Hezbollah's forces threatened the Government in May 2008 to crumble it if it doesn't abide by its views, is the answer to your question.
Fox News: You met with high ranking officials at the United Nations and several missions including the U.S., France, UK and Italy. Did you raise this issue with them? What did they tell you?
NG: Yes we raised the issue of implementing UN resolutions. I asked them how would the UN implement its own resolutions regarding security and sovereignty in the world including regarding Lebanon. They advised Lebanon's Government and its lawmakers to act and call for it. I told them Lebanon cannot call for UN help in this regards because pro-Iranian and pro-Syrian forces on the inside are blocking any move by the Lebanese Government to seek such help. It is like the chicken and the egg. In other words we're not fully free in Lebanon and the international community, the United States must help civil societies to regain freedom.
Fox News: Do you think Syria has been supplying Hezbollah with long-range scuds?
NG: I don't have information or data about this matter. Regarding the missiles, we read, like everyone else, Hezbollah's own statement declaring to the world that they increased its missiles arsenal from 10,000 to tens of thousands of rockets and missiles since 2006. They spoke of ranges that are equal to the SCUD range or even further. So, the militia admits it in public. What we need now, since this is an international matter, is to have the UN send units of observers to the Lebanese Syrian borders and to the districts adjacent to that border to check it out. Remember that when the UN doesn't do its job well, as was the case in Iraq, dramatic consequences can follow. We are working hard on subtracting Lebanon from any conflict that can generate from this crisis.
Fox News: What are the chances of another Hezbollah/Israel war?
NG: The conflict between Hezbollah and Israel has one dimension that escapes Lebanon. Hezbollah is affiliated with the leadership of the Iranian revolution. This is what the ideology, doctrine and basic documents of the group says. This is what its leaders claim and this is what the Iranian regime's leaders also say. So, if any clash comes to happen between Israel and Hezbollah, or Iran and the "World", it would create directly a war between Lebanon and Israel which the Lebanese State won't have anything to do with it. It would be against their will. The majority of Lebanese people, from all communities, do not want wars and terrorism and do not want missiles and destruction. The majority of Lebanese want their country out of any conflict, to live in peace and freedom.
Fox News: What is the role of Iran in Lebanon?
They are trying to build influence in this country and add Lebanon to the regional axis they are creating. The growing role of Iran's regime in Lebanon is not accepted by the majority of Lebanese and many Shiite spiritual and political leaders as well as civil society NGOs reject the Iranian influence.
