A top, though unnamed US diplomat has warned that the Obama Administration will revoke all aid to the Lebanese government if, as seems to be increasingly likely, the March 8 coalition manages to form a government.
The US had been vigorously backing the March 14 bloc and outgoing Prime Minister Saad Hariri, to the extent that Vice President Biden made a high profile state visit just to campaign for the Hariri faction ahead of the last election. They narrowly won, but their unity government collapsed just over a week ago.
With Hariri on the way out, the Hezbollah dominated March 8 faction is moving close to forming its own government, with the endorsement of the Progressive Socialist Party giving them the majority they need.
Already analysts are concerned that the loss of the $246 million in US aid could have a major impact on Lebanon’s economy, but with $100 million of that going to the military, and that only on the rare occasions Congress isn’t trying to score political points with some faction or other by revoking it, the threat may be overstated. Indeed, some say the US probably wouldn’t revoke the non-military aid at any rate because it would damage their influence.
In all likelihood, most of the U.S. non-military aid ends up in a Swiss bank account of a corrupt Lebanese politician. The person on the street in Lebanon never sees it. And of course the military aid only gets shuffled back to U.S. defense corporations, or amounts to old worn out surplus equipment. A voting person in Lebanon couldn't care less about U.S. aid of any kind. By stopping aid, (bribe money is really the better term) the U.S. would be doing Lebanon a favor.
What aid?
The pittance they give to this Arab Nation whilst handing out BILLIONS to the most racist Country in the World – ISREAL?
Lebanese should pray that Empire of Terror delivers on that threat.
That day should be celebrated as Independence day and Liberation Day of Lebanon.
Resist Terror!
American aid to Lebanon has never been of much help to the lebenese. On the contary,most of this so called aid used to be spent on covert operations aimed at gathering intellegence on Hezbollah.If the US is truly serious about assisting in helping Lebanon, then it should supply Beirut with the necessary defensive equipments required to shield lebanon from israeli continued agressions.
And that would be the best thing to happen to Lebanon ever. Imagine, that means that they no longer have a puppet regime whose strings are being pulled by the United States of Israel in exchange for a couple million worthless US dollars.
Great news if you ask me… no more American interference for the Lebanese. What does America do for Middle East countries except hold them back for Israel's benefit. The sooner they sever their links with the axis of evil (USA) the better they will be.
Loss of US “aid” is one step closer to getting the US government out of Lebanon’s domestic affairs. Perhaps some of the francophile/western loving fanatics in Lebanon will learn that their friends are to their east, not in Washington, D.C. where multi-faced control freaks attempt to manage / mismanage world affairs.
US democracy in action – vaote for the right people or else
If America is so broke,why is it handing out billion$ of dollars,when it has to borrow it from China?
USA like a drunk'en sailor–blows his money and none left to take home. Arabs are realizing–USA is broke and the Bribe (nicie nicie to Israel) money is about to end
Hmmm. That's 100m the US pulls from Lebanon. Does this mean there'll be a 100m more on top of the 3 billion we give Israel to attack countries like Lebanon? Obviuosly, the Lebanese have had just about all the HELP from us they can afford.
Love to see Democracy in action- we don't like the way a nation sorts itself out, so we're just going to take our toys and go home. And, in the process, shoot ourselves in the foot making another not-exactly-pro-US nation in the Middle East. But I agree that cutting the cycle of dependency is a very good step for Lebanon so they can make their own way in the world. Now, if we can just do the same for Israel, we might find ourselves free of a lot of troubles.
True
Lebanon would be better off in every possible way without American interference and meddling. Tell Uncle Sap to keep his blood money and be free of him.
Lebanon needs US aid like it needs a frontal lobotomy. Along with the weapons for the army, for there is very little practical aid, come American 'advisors' to make sure the pot keeps boiling.
Those advisors have an inside track to army dissidents and their 'cables' are all directed through Tel Aviv.
Certain benefits come from giving them the money. I suspect Mossad gets a few good agents walking the potential attack routes pretending to be good old USA employees with a big smile on his face. If one looks at Israel and how it is quickly headed towards civil war between the Haredim and secular jews. What good will the hundreds of billions given to Israel if it fails because they cannot get along with each other.