THE international community must help Lebanon disarm Hezbollah as the Israeli bombardments have increased the popularity of the Shiite militia, Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora said in a newspaper interview published in Italy today.
"The whole world must help us disarm Hezbollah. But we must first obtain a ceasefire. We can't do anything while the bombardments continue and the situation will just get worse," Mr Siniora told Italy's Corriere della Sera.
"Hezbollah has become a state within a state. We are well aware of this and it is a serious problem. It's no secret that Hezbollah follows the political agendas of Damascus and Tehran," the Lebanese leader said, pointing the finger at Syria and Iran.
"But the criminal Israeli bombardments must stop immediately. Israelis are bombing civilians and this increases Hezbollah's popularity, even among people who would not normally support it," the premier added.
Mr Siniora appealed for a global solution to the crisis, including the release of Lebanese prisoners in Israel and the withdrawal of troops from a disputed border area.
This would remove any legitimate reason for Hezbollah to maintain its armed militia thereby forcing it to become a purely political movement in the country, he explained.
Some 310 people have been killed since Israel launched a lethal offensive across Lebanon on July 12 in a bid to cripple the Shiite militant group Hezbollah after it captured the two Israeli soldiers. |