Beirut, April 06: The U.S. has quietly stopped providing weapons to Lebanon following the collapse of caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s government, according to American media Monday.
The Wall Street Journal said U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates had agreed to the halting of arms shipments to Beirut and that the decision had been taken amid “growing concerns about Hezbollah’s role [in Lebanon].”
“The arms freeze was recently approved by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, but the decision hasn’t been publicly announced because of concerns the disclosure could interfere with delicate internal negotiations in Lebanon over a new government’s makeup and policies,” the paper said.
A U.S. Embassy spokesperson told The Daily Star Washington remained committed to bolstering the Lebanese Army’s capacity but stopped short of confirming the newspaper’s report.
“We provide support to institutions, like the [Lebanese Army], that operate under the constitutional authorities of the Lebanese state,” the spokesperson said. “We believe that our support for the [Lebanese Army] is critical to a sovereign and independent Lebanon. The [Lebanese Army] is representative of the population and accountable to the country’s elected leadership.”
The resignation of 11 ministers from Hariri’s national unity Cabinet in January prompted the fall of Lebanon’s government and lawmakers in Washington have expressed disquiet over the appointment as prime minister designate of Najib Mikati, who is backed by Hezbollah.
The newspaper reported that Hezbollah had been emboldened by the toppling of the Cabinet, “to the chagrin of the U.S. and its allies.”
The U.S. has provided Lebanon with over $72 million in military support since 2006, with at least $18 million of funding between March and 2010.
U.S. officials attempted to block military funding to Lebanon in the aftermath of fighting between Lebanese and Israeli Armies in August 2010, which killed two Lebanese soldiers and a journalist, as well as a senior Israeli officer in the worst violence along the Blue Line for several years. The freeze proved temporary, but concerns over the possibility that U.S.-made weapons, including antitank missiles and launchers, could fall into Hezbollah’s hands have returned since January’s ministerial resignations.
The Embassy spokesperson said that the U.S. was waiting to see the makeup of Lebanon’s new administration before committing to further military assistance.
“Once a new government is formed in Lebanon, the United States will look at the new government’s composition, policy statement, and behavior before making any decisions regarding our bilateral relationship, including the nature of our military cooperation,” the spokesperson said.
“During this interim period, our robust cooperation with the LAF continues in many areas, provision of individual soldiering equipment, vehicle refurbishments, training programs, exchanges, infrastructure projects, medical supplies, humanitarian assistance, demining, and other important areas.” the spokesperson added,
According to Israeli estimates, Hezbollah has amassed a stockpile of several thousands of rockets in contravention of international law. The party has maintained its policy of not commenting on the exact makeup of its arsenal, which is the topic of intense political debate following March 14’s repositioning as Lebanon’s opposition.
A Lebanese Army spokesperson refused to comment on the report.
——–Agencies