Speaking today with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri, President Trump praised ongoing efforts in Lebanon for the nation to “guard its borders” and prevent infiltration by ISIS and other militant groups, pledging unspecified amounts of US aid to help with that effort.
Trump presented the support as necessary to ensure that the Lebanese Army “is the only defender Lebanon needs,” clearly suggesting supplanting Hezbollah as the nation’s primary force defending from actual invasions.
In practice, however, Hezbollah has been a diving force in the recent border operations that pleased him so, reflecting the group’s hostility toward ISIS and al-Qaeda’s Nusra Front, and that is likely to continue for the foreseeable future, irrespective of US aid to the Lebanese military.
The Lebanese Armed Forces have struggled for years with limiting Syrian rebel incursions along the border, though they’ve struggled to do this in the case of bigger raids, and have had to seek the support of Hezbollah to handle bigger incidents.
If the Don’t gave hiz stamp of approval to Hesbollah and even their operations, then doesn’t that approval negate HIS own accusations about Iran being a supporter of terrorism… Whattg
His Iranian rants were the ransom he had to pay, and is still paying to stay afloat. Without it, he would not have entered the White House. But Trump is cagey. While ranting against terrorist Iran, he has managed to split up GCC, weaken Saudi Arabia, interject Egypt into GCC affairs.
Thanks Bianca… Not sure I see things quite that way but I suppose here in Amrrica, a campaign without demonization is likely to fail…. Boob bait for the bubbas
Thanks for the hints Bianca.. I don’t see that the Iran bashing made much difference myself.
Fat chance. Trump is not going to drive a wedge between the Lebanese army and Hezbollah. Then the country would be weakened against Israel. Not going to happen.