Lebanese Politician And Aoun Loyalist Walid Achkar: We Have Reservations About Hizbullah's Use Of Weapons Anywhere Beyond Syria - Especially In Yemen

In a December 27, 2021 show aired on MTV (Lebanon), Lebanese politician Walid Achkar, a member of President Michel Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement's (FPM) political council, said that the FPM has reservations about Hizbullah's involvement abroad, particularly in Yemen, even though the FPM had supported Hizbullah's involvement in the Syrian conflict. Achkar emphasized that the only legitimate weapons in Lebanon are those of the state, and he added that the FPM also has reservations about the clashes involving Hizbullah and Amal in Tayouneh in October of 2021.

Walid Achkar: "We have reservations about Hizbullah when it uses its weapons abroad, in Yemen, to be precise..."

Interviewer: "We have not heard President Aoun talking about this even once."

Achkar: "No, no. The position about this is clear. Just to clarify, we believe that in Syria, Hizbullah had Lebanon's back, and therefore, it was defending Lebanon, in Ersal and elsewhere... It was a preemptive war, and we supported Hizbullah in this, but when this goes beyond Syria, we have reservations about this.

[...]

"The only legitimate weapons are those of the Lebanese state. However, Hizbullah's weapons are used to confront Israel and the terrorists, and we support Hizbullah in this. But if Hizbullah's weapons are used elsewhere, we will definitely... "

Interviewer: "There are being used no. There is no 'if.'"

Achkar: "That's what you say, but I am telling you that these weapons have no been used so far in this way."

Interviewer: "These weapons have not been used outside of Lebanon?"

Achkar: "We are talking about Lebanon..."

Interviewer: "I'm talking about using these weapons abroad."

Achkar: "We have reservations about the use of Hizbullah's weapons in Yemen, because we think this is none of our business..."

Interviewer: "What about inside Lebanon? The Tayouneh and the May 7 incidents?"

Achkar: "We have great reservations about Hizbullah and Amal's conduct in Tayouneh. Our position about this was clear. This is one of the reasons for our dispute with the Shi'ite duo [Hizbullah and Amal] – the use of weapons in this way.

[...]

"It is like a cup that was filled to the brim and then spilled over. We had many reservations in recent years about Hizbullah's conduct on the home front, and maybe, for various reasons, we used to turn a blind eye, because we did not want the problems to exacerbate, and things would be dealt with within days or weeks. But the present crisis escalated to the point where we cannot remain silent. I am here presenting the positions of many in the FPM [Free Patriotic Movement] who speak this way.

"Even though we appreciate the period when we had an understanding with Hizbullah, when we repeat our reservations once, twice, and three times, and we encounter no real response... All we hear is that Hizbullah 'understands' the FPM's position.

"No. We do not want Hizbullah to 'understand' our positions. We want Hizbullah to make practical steps that will persuade FPM supporters, even before the FPM leaders, because you can hear on social media that the FPM supporters are restless."