The Resistance: In Defense of Lebanon

With the news coming yesterday of the approval of the "Israeli" cabinet of a prisoner exchange deal with the Resistance in Lebanon, another accomplishment was recorded in the long list of accomplishments that the Resistance has achieved for Lebanon and the Lebanese. It has become increasingly obvious that the Resistance has taken the role of the true defense force of Lebanon, as it has liberated occupied Lebanese land, confronted and repulsed an attempted "Israeli" invasion, and worked seriously and diligently to secure the release of Lebanese prisoners languishing in "Israeli" dungeons. Yet, even as we recognize and praise the Resistance for all the sacrifices it has made and work it has done in contribution to real Lebanese freedom, sovereignty, and independence (as opposed to the bankrupt version that had been chanted during the farcical "Cedar Revolution") many groups and individuals are working tirelessly within Lebanon to eliminate the Resistance and terminate even the spirit of resistance.

The Lebanese state, since its inception, has never displayed a political will to commit to the defense of Lebanon against external threats. The issue of defense was historically seen as a nuisance to the Lebanese sectarian/tribal politicians, as it was an unnecessary expense that would take away some of the state funds they would be pocketing and because it would act as a disturbance to their personally-motivated political agenda. Therefore, it was always a popular resistance that had to take on the role of the defender of Lebanese territory. When "Israel" pulled out of Beirut and moved back to southern Lebanon, it was due to unrelenting resistance to its occupation, and when it withdrew from most of the south back to Palestine, it was also because of the actions of the national Resistance. The Lebanese political entity had no interest in committing to the liberation of Lebanon, and in fact many saw the south of Lebanon as a mere burden that could be relieved were "Israel" to take a hold of it. As such, absent the Resistance, "Israel" would most definitely have taken complete control of at least southern Lebanon and began building settlements on it, as it has done with all territory it has ever occupied.

Today, the Resistance in Lebanon has evolved and developed into such a major fighting force that it constitutes the only deterrent to the devious schemes and designs of "Israel." The Lebanese Army is no match for the Resistance, as it does not receive even near adequate support from a political class completely unwilling to build an armed forces capable of defending the homeland. However, those same politicians who have expressed complete and utter disdain for anyone or anything demonstrating a serious will and ability to fight the enemy, are committing all their energy and power to combatting and eliminating the Resistance. Not only do they not want to commit to a national defense themselves, but they also want to prevent anyone else from doing so.

Of course such politicians cannot merely come out and declare that they are opposed to the Resistance because they do not want to commit to Lebanon's defense. Therefore, they use justifications and rhetoric that is more likely to give them credibility amongst their constituents. Thus, they claim that the Resistance should be disarmed because its existence flies in the face of state sovereignty, as national defense should be the sole responsibility of the state and not that of an armed militia. The argument is that if Lebanon is to have a true state, then it cannot tolerate an armed militia that is outside of its control. This argument is of course utterly bogus for two important reasons. First, as I indicated in a previous article, these same political forces have, throughout their history, shown nothing but contempt for the Lebanese state. They themselves act outside of the sovereignty of the state, creating their own private fiefdoms in their regions and turning state institutions into their personal business enterprises. Second, their anti-Resistance argument implies that they are indeed committed to defending Lebanon, but that such defense must be consolidated within the Lebanese Armed Forces, when in fact their history has proven that their idea of an armed forces is a ragtag army incapable of standing in the face of a mounting military attack. It is a member of this very political class who once declared that "Lebanon's strength is in its weakness."

Nations and states build armed forces not merely for aesthetic purposes, but rather for concrete objectives, namely the defense of the homeland and the ability to decide the nation's destiny. The goal, therefore, is not the armed forces themselves, but rather the defense of the country. The armed forces are merely a means to achieve that end. The nature of such armed forces is determined by the economic, social, and political circumstances surrounding a given nation or state. Today, Lebanon's position is such that the Resistance has proven to be the most effective tool in confronting an enemy attack and defending Lebanon and the Lebanese against external threats. As such, demanding its disarmament and elimination is effectively a crime against the interest of the Lebanese state, because it is a request to put an end to the only effective means of defending Lebanon. Such demands, therefore, can only be motivated by narrow individual or other particuaristic interests.

The fact of the matter is that Lebanese political groups calling for the disarmament of the Resistance today are working in accordance with a foreign agenda. They are doing so in furtherance of their own selfish interests. "Israel" and its client US administration do not want to see any group within our nation challenging the complete dominance and hegemony of "Israel" over the entire region. They therefore have a heavy interest in destroying all resistance within the nation and demonizing the very concept and spirit of resisting occupation and oppression. They have thus employed local sectarian/tribal chieftains, who form the political class of the Lebanese entity, to undermine the Resistance, strip it of any real cause, and mount an unrelenting, vicious propaganda campaign aimed at vilifying the Resistance and harming its image within the Lebanese public. We thus see recurring accusations of the Resistance being a foreign proxy with a narrow, sectarian agenda unrelated to the defense of Lebanon and the Lebanese. Our people who fought and sacrificed in defense of their land are turned into mere troublemakers and "terrorists" acting merely in furtherance of foreign goals.

Nevertheless, the truth continues to be exposed by the very actions of the Resistance on the ground. Notwithstanding the unrepentent propaganda compaign led by corrupt sectarian groups in Lebanon, the Resistance is proving time and time again that it is working for Lebanon and the Lebanese. It has liberated Lebanese land, repulsed an "Israeli" invasion attempt, and freed Lebanese prisoners held by the enemy. None of this would be happening without the Resistance, which has consistently proven over time that it represents the true spirit of our people and nation.