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Tuesday, 10 August 2010

Top US Lawmaker Wants to Block 'Aid' to Lebanese Military

Top US Lawmaker Wants to Block 'Aid' to Lebanese Military

09/08/2010 Days following the Israeli aggression against the Lebanese Army, the United States continues to take a side, launching a war against the Lebanese Army just because it decided to defend the Lebanese "sovereign" land and reject the Israeli daily violations of sovereignty.

In this context, a top US lawmaker said that the US Congress should block roughly 100 million dollars in aid to Lebanon's military until it can be sure the country's armed forces are not working with Hezbollah.

Pointing to last week's deadly clash, Representative Eric Cantor warned the lines between the Resistance movement and Lebanon's armed forces had become blurred. "The days of ignoring the LAF's (Lebanese Armed Forces') provocations against Israel and protection of Hezbollah in Southern Lebanon are over," said Cantor, the number two Republican in the House of Representatives.

"Lebanon cannot have it both ways. If it wants to align itself with Hezbollah against the forces of democracy, stability and moderation, there will be consequences," Cantor, a fierce defender of the Israeli enemy, claimed.

"Congress must convey that message by blocking the roughly 100 million dollars in 2011 assistance to the LAF until we find out the details of last week's attack and can certify that the Lebanese army is not cooperating with Hezbollah," he went on to say.

Cantor said the United States had provided roughly 720 million dollars since 2006 in military aid "to build up a Lebanese fighting force that would serve as a check on the growing power of the radical Islamist Hezbollah movement. But "for the past few years, the US and the international community looked the other way as the lines between Hezbollah and the Lebanese military and government became blurred," he warned.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese presidency said it is receiving scores of calls from Lebanon and foreign countries to laud the initiative of President Michel Sleiman to arm the military. The presidency said in a statement that the callers have expressed readiness to arm the military and equip it when the cabinet adopts such a decision and announces a donation mechanism.

On Saturday, President Sleiman vowed that the cabinet will put a plan during its next session to arm the Lebanese military "with all that is necessary," regardless of the stances of other countries. "We have launched a counter-campaign to arm the military," Sleiman said in the southern town of Adeisseh where he inspected the army base that was attacked by Israeli occupation troops in the town of Odeisseh on Tuesday and met with soldiers there. The cabinet plan will be put "despite the negative stances of several countries on this issue," the president said. Arming the military is aimed at "protecting the dignity of the nation," he added.

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