The Lebanese Government moved today into a pivotal phase of its program to fully disband all private militias, as President Elias Hrawi met with Syria’s Vice President to discuss support from the 40,000 Syrian troops in Lebanon in suppressing any opposition to the effort.
The Syrian Vice President, Abdel Halim Khaddam, second-ranking in the Government after President Hafez al-Assad, paid an unscheduled visit to Beirut, the first by a high-level Syrian official in 10 years. He drove directly to Mr. Hrawi’s presidential villa in mainly Muslim West Beirut, which is policed jointly by Lebanese and Syrian soldiers. The two leaders were soon joined by the Lebanese Prime Minister, Omar Karami.
The high-level talks underlined the significance of the attempt the Lebanese Government is about to make in disarming and dissolving the private armies that have held the effective reins of power during nearly 16 years of civil strife.
President Hrawi has has called a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday at which, Government officials say, a strategy will be adopted for disbanding armed groups as stipulated in a new national reconciliation pact.
The Government has won cooperation from most of the main militias, securing the evacuation of their fighting units from the Beirut region in December. But President Hrawi has encountered resistance from the most powerful Christian force, the 10,000-strong Lebanese Forces, and the Iranian-backed fundamentalist Party of God.
In addition, the Government is determined to disband some 11,000 Palestinian guerrillas in the south, north and east of the country who have vowed to keep their weapons to continue their fight against Israel.The national reconciliation charter, agreed to by Lebanese Muslim and Christian legislators under Arab auspices 17 months ago, stipulated among other things that Lebanese and foreign militias must be disarmed and disbanded by Thursday.
The atmosphere here is reminiscent of the days preceding the defeat of a renegade Christian Army General, Michel Aoun, last October.
Syrian forces and Lebanese Army units loyal to President Hrawi mounted a joint assault that forced General Aoun to flee his hideout in the old presidential palace in suburban Baabda and take refuge in the French embassy nearby, where he has lived ever since.
Mr. Khaddam told reporters after meeting with President Hrawi that Syria stood ready to provide the Lebanese Government with any assistance it may require in extending its authority to all parts of Lebanon. He said he did not expect serious problems in disbanding the militias because all Lebanese parties have endorsed the reconciliation pact. He did not discuss the presence of armed Palestinians.
