Lebanon must prioritize confronting Hezbollah’s illegal activities

Can Naim Qassem read the room? In recent declarations, the Hezbollah secretary-general issued a typical Lebanese warning to his enemies by stating: “It will hang long on your necks.”

This warning to Lebanese political figures and others calling for Hezbollah to give up its arms is clear on what to expect. Yet, for once, what is interesting is not his declarations, which were expected, but the massive answers against them from the entire Lebanese political and media spectrum. From outright condemnations to mockery, Qassem must now understand that the days when a Hezbollah secretary-general could point his finger to warn, threaten and instill fear and silence are long gone.

Does this mean that the organization is no longer capable of reverting to killings and silencing its opponents? Absolutely not. The weapons may not be capable of threatening Israel, as is suggested in Hezbollah’s usual rhetoric, but they are sufficient to threaten the Lebanese people.

It is obvious that the remnants of the Assad regime could coordinate with Hezbollah and initiate violence

Khaled Abou Zahr

After so many years of abuse, Lebanon is now capable of standing up to the Iranian proxy. But we should also take Qassem’s declarations at face value, such as when he says that stripping the group of its weapons, so that “they kill us and kill our people,” would be “long on your necks,” implying that those who pursue such a policy would carry the heavy burden and responsibility for the consequences, which is a death sentence and war. Within these threats, there are other elements to take into consideration as well, which are the Assad regime’s remnants in Lebanon.

Recent media reports have highlighted the presence of members of the former Assad regime in Lebanon, especially close to the border with Syria. These remnants include former military commanders and security staff, which is worrying for both Lebanon and Syria.

While the Lebanese government has formally denied the existence of high-ranking former regime operatives within the country, it has been highlighted that these groups are functioning in small networks, increasing the level of threat. It is obvious that these remnants could coordinate with Hezbollah and initiate violence and instability. This could also be part of Qassem’s threat to Lebanon, at a time when the country already has a precarious security situation.

The possible dangers presented by these remnants of the Assad regime aligning with Hezbollah go beyond localized security issues. They threaten the entire Lebanese state and the figures demanding both their arrest and Hezbollah’s surrender of its arsenal. This is why the government, which has carried out some arrests on the border, needs to deal with this ongoing presence.

It is time for the Lebanese state and the people to be ready to stand up for what they believe in

Khaled Abou Zahr

This not only has the possibility to ignite internal political conflicts — it could also undermine the Lebanese state’s capacity to uphold control over its land and increase tensions with the new leadership in Syria. It is easy to see how the agendas of the Assad regime’s remnants and a weakened Hezbollah could converge to threaten Lebanon and the fragile regional stability simply by destabilizing the Lebanese-Syrian border or, worse, through targeted attacks. Both groups have the same goal in Syria and Lebanon, which stands against any efforts to reinforce state authority.

As always, Qassem’s threats to those who dare demand Hezbollah’s disarmament are made by presenting them as traitors who align with “Israeli-American” agendas and who are exposing the country to danger. These are all lies that the Lebanese now reject, as all wish to see a real sovereign country take the reins. Yet, even if Hezbollah is weakened, one should never underestimate its capacity for violence. This should also be considered in light of the protests taking place in Iran, as Qassem expressed strong support for Iran’s leadership. Just like with Hezbollah’s disarmament, the secretary-general framed the nationwide protests as driven by the US and Israel attempting to undermine the regime.

It is time for the Lebanese state and the people to be ready to stand up for what they believe in.

Even though Hezbollah’s grip on dissenting voices has loosened due to various attacks, from the exploding pagers to targeted military strikes, the group remains capable of extreme actions. This is why the Lebanese government and military should not and cannot delay their actions to isolate and cut off all adjacent operations of nonstate groups.

According to the Lebanese Forces and other sources, the most dangerous remnants of the Assad regime are still operating near Lebanon’s border. This includes figures such as Maj. Gen. Suheil Al‑Hassan and Brig. Gen. Ghiyath Dalla, who are believed to be coordinating networks of former officers and fighters to maintain influence and potentially destabilize the region.

For both groups, illegal activities are an important source of financing for their operations. Hence, Lebanon must prioritize confronting the illegal activities of Hezbollah and the remnants of the Assad regime. Achieving this would be an important step toward restoring the state’s exclusive authority over weapons, borders and security. These activities constitute an important challenge to state authority and positive bilateral relations with Syria, a key element to reaching full sovereignty.

All cross‑border operations, weapons and goods smuggling, money laundering and coordination with criminal networks must be targeted decisively. Dismantling these parallel structures is essential to depriving these groups of their capacity to target Lebanon and its people. There is no time to waste.

The potential collusion between the Assad regime’s remnants and Hezbollah cannot be ignored any longer and needs to be tackled. As the threats from Hezbollah increase, the risks of seeing coordinated action also increase.

• Khaled Abou Zahr is the founder of SpaceQuest Ventures, a space-focused investment platform. He is CEO of EurabiaMedia and editor of Al-Watan Al-Arabi.