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[Adventurer]

U.S. Aid to Lebanon Army continues
Published: Thursday, 10 July, 2008 @ 10:32 PM in Beirut
*By: William Wheeler
Beirut- When Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Eric S. Edelman visited with top officials in Lebanon May 31, he brought more than just words of encouragement.


Timed with his visit, a shipment of body armor, helmets and more than 1.3 million rounds of ammunition was delivered to the Lebanese Armed Forces -- the latest installment in an ongoing program of military and economic aid that has made Lebanon, on a per capita basis, the second-highest recipient of U.S. assistance. On the heels of sectarian clashes in May, in which Hezbollah-allied forces largely routed pro-government Sunni fighters, the move is an indication that the United States is not ready to abandon the pro-Western government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora ahead of next year's critical parliamentary elections.

"Since 2006, the United States has committed over $371 million in security assistance," said a statement from the U.S. embassy, which promised "the United States will continue to provide equipment and training to the LAF."

So far, that assistance includes 285 Humvees, 200 cargo trucks, helicopter repair parts, assault rifles, grenade launchers, anti-tank weapons and urban warfare bunker weapons, with another 300 Humvees, mobile communications systems, and coastal patrol craft to come.

Lebanon

[sojourner1]

Wow, the USA is shitting out a lot of money's worth of military equipment while not doing much for their own country. That's too bad they don't re-invest in their own country and stay the hell out of other people's business. Our country needs to re-empowered it's own citizens to do good and be productive through investing in it's own...

[saw6436]

^^ Absolutely agree. The US should concentrate only on the homefront. The rest of the world can rely on France to bail them out of trouble.

[Adventurer]

Well, the United States is already involved in the region and Lebanon is a strategic country in relation to where Israel and Syria are at the moment. An absence of the US could be to the benefit of the European Union. Also, the Sunnis, Christians, and Druze of Lebanon are largely on the side of the U.S. Why not support one's allies? The US cannot ignore fanatical groups. Do you think they should?

Thanks...

[nautilus]

I'd hate to see all that equipment fall into the wrong hands if siniora gets ousted.

[khyber]

[Kuros]

I'm sorry, but if you think this military aid is wasted, you need to spend a good few hours catching up on the recent history of Lebanon.

This isn't even a billion dollars. Look at the kind of aid being given. These are not expensive technology but basic logistics and supply stuff. This is exactly what America started to give Russia in 1941, and it helped a great deal. Most of this stuff is easy procurement and just has to be shipped on a boat.

Its a lot more efficient than spending the billions of dollars we are spending in Iraq, or even Afghanistan.

[Gopher]

This discussion lacks a comparative perspective. How much military aid are Tehran and Damascus passing to Hezbollah? Further, what might happen re: Israeli-Lebanese relations should the United States cease aiding the current Lebanese govt, abandoning the field, so to speak, to Iranian and Syrian interests there?

[Adventurer]

It can also be said that the Lebanese army is mixed and large parts of it would always stay loyal to the government and most of the equipment, too, and it wouldn't make Hezbollah more powerful. They have plenty of weapons. This would make the army stronger in confronting Hezbollah with the men they have if they proper equipment.