As the Lebanese army intensifies its fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and other Islamist groups, the United States, its allies and Iran are increasing their aid to Lebanon.
Earlier this week, the U.S. delivered more than $25 million of American weapons, including heavy artillery, to the Lebanese army. The arms will assist in the army’s fight against Islamist militants, namely the al-Qaeda affiliated al-Nusra Front and ISIS, which have staged numerous attacks in Lebanon.
Al-Araby al-Jadeed reported:
The munitions, which arrived on Sunday are to help in the fight against militants, namely the Nusra Front and the Islamic state group, who have staged numerous attacks in Lebanon.
“We are fighting the same enemy, so our support for you has been swift and continuous,” said the US ambassador to Beirut, David Hale, as the weapons arrived.
Among the cache were 72, M198 towed artillery pieces, and more than 25 million rounds of shells, mortar bombs, and rifle ammunition.
The delivery came in addition to the more than $100 million in military aid that Lebanon received from the United States in 2014.
According to the al-Araby al-Jadeed report, the U.S. has been wary of seeing the Lebanese army significantly bolster its capabilities due to the cooperation between the army and Hezbollah, which presents a threat to Israel.
Also this week, France pledged to fulfills its previous commitment to deliver $3 billion worth of arms to the Lebanese army within two months. This arms deal is funded by Saudi Arabia and includes helicopter gunships, armored personnel carriers, heavy artillery and surveillance drones. Hisham Jaber, a former Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) general and head of the Middle East Center for Studies and Research in Beirut, said the Saudi donation was also intended to bolster the army against Hezbollah, which is supported by Saudi Arabia’s rival Iran.
Lebanese security forces have also received support from the United Kingdom in fortifying their defenses along the porous border with Syria, while Iran has been making direct efforts to support Lebanon in its fight against ISIS.
In September, a senior Iranian official revealed that Tehran will supply the Lebanese army with military equipment to fight armed Sunni groups like ISIS. Hezbollah politicians had encouraged Lebanon to seek arms from Iran, instead of from Western powers or Saudi Arabia. On the other hand, Lebanese politicians aligned with the March 14 movement point out that in 2007 the United Nations placed an embargo on Iran’s export of weapons.
The aid from America and its allies could inadvertently end up helping Hezbollah due to its strong ties to the LAF.
In recent months, Islamist militants have increased their presence in Lebanon. The Lebanese army fought off fighters from ISIS and Al-Nusra Fromt on the Syrian border and in the north of the country, including Lebanon’s second-largest city Tripoli. On January 23, jihadist militants attacked a remote Lebanese army outpost on the border, killing eight Lebanese soldiers.
[Photo: Hassan Chamoun / Flickr]