Daily Star staff
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
BEIRUT: Israel has launched a diplomatic campaign aimed at countries providing military assistance to Lebanon, warning that any weapons or equipment given to Beirut will end up in Hizbullah’s hands, according to Israeli media. The Jerusalem Post, citing Israeli government sources, reported on Monday that Tel Aviv is calling on the international community to rethink supporting the Lebanese Army.
“The position Israel is trying to impress on countries that support Lebanon is that the Lebanese Army and Hizbullah are virtually indistinguishable,” the paper wrote.
It reported that Israeli concerns are likely to be raised this week during a visit from US National Security Adviser James Jones. Talks will touch on Israel’s refusal to accept the Lebanese Cabinet statement’s article six, which legitimizes the presence of a resistance to Israeli aggression in Lebanon, it added.
“There has been a great deal of concern here,” the paper quoted one official as saying over the resistance issue.
The campaign comes at a time when the US is considering providing Lebanon with support across a wide variety of security, development and reform projects. In talks with Lebanese President Michel Sleiman last weekend, the defeated US presidential candidate John McCain reiterated the US’s “commitment to supporting a strong, independent, and democratic Lebanon.”
Sleiman himself asked Washington in December for greater military assistance.
Simon Haddad, political science professor at Notre Dame University, said that weapons provided by the US would not reach Hizbullah.
“I don’t think that Hizbullah is in need of weapons; they have enough weapons that they can use in future confrontations with Israel,” he said.
Retired Army General Elias Hanna said that the type of support Lebanon received from the US should not concern officials south of the Blue Line, as it was not of use to Hizbullah. (Note - how absolutely naive!BeeSting)
“The US won’t provide Lebanon with anything that will change the balance of power,” he said. “Maybe Israel doesn’t want to add more complexities to its own situation. But this weaponry will not complicate the situation, because what the Americans give will be conventional weapons.”
Since 2005, the US has pledged to provide Lebanon with more than $500 million worth of military support to aid the capacities of its security forces, assist counterterrorism operations and work to prevent arms flowing into the country through its porous border with Syria, according to the US Congressional Research Service. This pales in comparison to the near $3 billion the US provides Israel’s military with annually.
The US State Department has said that military aid to Lebanon would, among other developments, “promote Lebanese control over southern Lebanon and Palestinian refugee camps to prevent them from being used as bases to attack Israel.” But political wrangling has delayed much of the US’ promised military support from reaching Lebanon.
“It’s true that the US is reluctant to provide Lebanon with certain things,” said Haddad, who added that the Lebanese Army command was likely to ask for an increase in US military provisions in the near future.
“[Israel] is afraid of any anti-aircraft missiles being provided to the Lebanese because this could change the status quo, but this is not the current issue,” he said. “The US is not willing to invest militarily in Lebanon, so in any case they would not [provide such weaponry].”
Haddad added that the US could be worried by Israeli warnings of weapons falling into the wrong hands. “The US would like to inquire more about the use of this [military equipment],” he added. “They need assurances.” (Note; How about trusting our ally, Israel, if you need "assurances"!)
Haddad said that irrespective of the military reality, “Israel’s arguments could be used to stop US support [for Lebanon].” Israel has repeatedly said that it will not accept Hizbullah as a member of Lebanon’s Cabinet and periodically warns that all of Lebanon will be held accountable if it is attacked by the group from positions in the south.
Hanna said that Hizbullah’s aims and those of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) were different, as was the military equipment both sought to obtain.
“Hizbullah does not need the LAF, the LAF is totally different from an ideological approach and practical capability,” he said. (Note: Hizbullah is part of the Lebanon government; Israel stated last summer, in so many words, that if they are hit by Hizbullah, blame Lebanon - no longer need to separate the two groups - they are ONE, consisting of all of Lebanon!)
Israel’s reported diplomatic offensive seeking to diminish military assistance to Lebanon in fear of strengthening Hizbullah was unfounded, according to Hanna, who said that US funding was aimed at “local stability, as the Americans will not give us advanced weapons.” “All they want is to make the LAF capable enough to implement Resolution 1701 and keep us from falling as a proxy of Iran,” he said.
Note: I have read this article, the excuses for arming militant governments and organizations, such as the Palestinians, and the fact that the United States is in the game of arming, training, and submitting monies to enemies of an ally is outrageous! It does not matter if more money, aid is give to an ally, as long as one penny is contributed to an ally's enemy! Does not take rocket science to figure this one out! Oh, is $940 MILLION DOLLARS to Gaza a drop in the bucket? Well, that is what the United States handed over to Gaza i.e. Hamas government rules Gaza, so that means our nation is most certainly contributing money to TERRORISTS, under the Obama Administration. BeeSting)
Note: Hezibollah cartoon added by BeeSting
Note: I have read this article, the excuses for arming militant governments and organizations, such as the Palestinians, and the fact that the United States is in the game of arming, training, and submitting monies to enemies of an ally is outrageous! It does not matter if more money, aid is give to an ally, as long as one penny is contributed to an ally's enemy! Does not take rocket science to figure this one out! Oh, is $940 MILLION DOLLARS to Gaza a drop in the bucket? Well, that is what the United States handed over to Gaza i.e. Hamas government rules Gaza, so that means our nation is most certainly contributing money to TERRORISTS, under the Obama Administration. BeeSting)
Note: Hezibollah cartoon added by BeeSting
