Region | Lebanon
Arms curbs to hit Lebanese army
Retired General of the Lebanese army Elias Hanna said the announcement by Howard Berman, the Democratic chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, about blocking $100 million (Dh367 million) aid to Lebanese army will have other political dimensions
- By Jumana Al Tamimi, Associate Editor
- Published: 00:00 August 11, 2010
Dubai: A US Congress Foreign Affairs Committee announcement about blocking military aid to Beirut will have some impact on the Lebanese army, but it will not be "catastrophic", a Lebanese military expert has said.
Retired General of the Lebanese army Elias Hanna said the announcement by Howard Berman, the Democratic chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, about blocking $100 million (Dh367 million) aid to Lebanese army will have other political dimensions.
"Definitely, it is considered big aid," Hanna told Gulf News. "They [Americans] don't give planes, [but] they give us spare parts [for military equipment], light equipment and provide training for the Army.
"They give us many important things," he added.
However, but "not to the extent that stopping [them] will be catastrophic." The US has provided Lebanon since 2006 with military aid worth $720 million.
Certain positions
Apart from the attempt to pressure the Lebanese government to take certain positions, Berman's statement reflects a division in the American decision-making circles.
"I believe it [statement] has some ignorance of the real situation in Lebanon," and it also "related to the recent two incidents", Hanna said.
Some American officials, Hanna explained, believed that the Lebanese army is taking a position that is pro-Hezbollah, and such a stand was mirrored in the August 2 clashes on the Lebanese-Israeli borders. The clashes killed two Lebanese soldiers, a journalist and an Israeli officer.
"Until we know more about this incident and the nature of Hezbollah influence on the Lebanese Armed Forces [LAF] — and can assure that the LAF is a responsible actor... I cannot in good conscience allow the US to continue sending weapons to Lebanon," Berman said.
On the other hand, a senior Lebanese government official told AP that Beirut is contacting the US government to provide assurances that American weapons supplied to the Lebanese army are not falling into the "wrong hands".
The contacts are with those in Washington, "who need to be made more aware" of the situation in Lebanon, according to the official, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter.
American military aid to Lebanon never reaches Hezbollah, Hanna said.
"Hezbollah needs weapons from the Army?" Hanna asked. "Have you ever heard of Hezbollah seeking weapons from France in order to fight?" Hanna said.
Influence
The Lebanese group receives its weapons from "both Syria and Iran. And this is a known fact", Hanna added. Iran, which supports Hezbollah, yesterday offered yesterday to support the Lebanese army, in what could fuel Western concern that Tehran is increasing its influence near Israel's northern border.
Iran's ambassador to Lebanon met Lebanese Army chief Jean Kahwaji on Monday and said Tehran was ready to "cooperate with the Lebanese army in any area that would help the military in performing its national role in defending Lebanon".
State Department spokesman Philip Crowley, meanwhile, said that the United States was not planning "to re-evaluate our current military cooperation with Lebanon in light of this incident", adding that Washington's military cooperation programme with Lebanon remains in US interests.
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