The positions of the Lebanese Army Commander raise a political debate

The recent positions launched by the Commander of the Lebanese Army, General Rudolph Heikal, in his talk about “the policy and mission of the military institution,” sparked a wave of mixed political reactions, and opened a debate about the limits of the role of the army, its relationship with political authority, and even the issue of defining patriotism.

Heikal had said, addressing the military, that “the army’s policy is the national policy, and whoever does not agree with this policy is in the other direction,” adding that “whoever speaks ill of his country’s army is not compatible with Lebanon and has no right to be in Lebanon.” These positions prompted the objection of a number of representatives and political figures, who saw them as transgressing the role of the military institution, while others defended the army commander.

For some time now, the army leadership has been facing accusations of being reluctant to implement the government’s decisions related to restricting Hezbollah’s weapons to the state. On the other hand, supporters of the military leadership’s approach believe that its performance falls within the framework of maintaining civil peace.

Representative Wadah Al-Sadiq was surprised by Heikal’s statements, and asked: “Are we now under military rule that determines who is patriotic and who is not?” For his part, Representative Michel Douaihy said that “the Lebanese have the right to hold all institutions accountable,” while Representative Mark Daou addressed the army commander, saying: “National policy is determined by the President of the Republic and the government and approved by the Parliament.”

On the other hand, MP from the Free Patriotic Movement, Jimmy Jabour, described what the army commander said as “self-defense” and an emphasis on protecting the military institution.

Likewise, representatives from Hezbollah and the Amal Movement came out to defend Heikal. Member of the Hezbollah bloc, MP Hassan Fadlallah, confirmed that “the factors of strength and cohesion in Lebanon are the resistance and the Lebanese army.”

Legally, constitutional expert Dr. Saeed Malik explains that the army commander is “an employee subject to the authority and policy of the Council of Ministers.”

Jordan and Syria confirmed that their relations are “at their best,” according to a description said by Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, stressing his country’s support for Syria in facing challenges. The session concluded with the signing of 11 agreements and memorandums of understanding covering multiple areas of cooperation, most notably a memorandum of understanding on railway connectivity.

On Monday, the Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Ali Al-Zaidi, ordered the formation of a joint investigative committee with the competent authorities in the Kurdistan region to determine the circumstances of the targeting of the Kormor gas field in Sulaymaniyah Governorate. On Monday, the UAE company Dana Gas announced the suspension of production operations in the Kormor field after it was attacked by a drone. Following the attack, the Ministry of Electricity in the Kurdistan Region announced that the attack would lead to a decrease in electricity production in the region’s national grid by between 2,500 and 2,800 megawatts.