The US House of Representatives voted on Thursday, 308 to 103, against a bill to prevent future funding for the Lebanese Armed Forces.
The military assistance program had been under fire for a while because of some US representatives who reportedly perceived a “conciliatory relationship” between the LAF and Hezbollah.
During remarks on the House floor, Rep. Darell Issa (R-CA) and Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Il) debated Rep. Greg Steube (R- Fl) objecting to his amendment to the bill that would cut foreign aid to the Lebanese armed forces.
Issa, in his intervention, insisted that the LAF maintains the force against Hezbollah, Palestinians and Syrians taking over Lebanon. He added that the LAF is the only force that keeps Hezbollah from taking over the country as a proxy for Iran.
The representative from California, a member of the Foreign Affairs committee for 20 years, explained that the Commander in Chief of the Lebanese Army, General Joseph Aoun, had been recently in the US, adding that the coordination between the two countries had never been stronger. “In Israel, they have told me that a stable Lebanon is important and that a civil war would lead to the chaos that led Israel to invade Lebanon many years ago.”
Issa was responding to Greg Steube, author of the amendment, who placed Hezbollah and the LAF under the same umbrella, adding that he believed that Hezbollah has a grip over the LAF.
Darin LaHood also responded to Steub by saying that discontinuing the funding will only serve to encourage Hezbollah on Lebanon’s southern border. “The long-standing US military investment for the independent Lebanese Armed Forces has worked to support US security interests in the Middle East for over 15 years. I work closely with the brave men and women in the military and intelligence committee to ensure robust and stringent oversight of US investment into the LAF. Every day we have 30 US military special forces embedded with the LAF. There has not been one piece of evidence presented today from our military that this money goes to Hezbollah or anybody else,” said LaHood. He insisted that the US should trust the US military experts on the ground, insisting that the LAF remains one of the strongest functioning partners of the US military in the Middle East.
The funds appropriated to the LAF are under the headings “International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement” and “Foreign Military Financing Program.” They are made available for progress and equipment for the Internal Security Forces (ISF) and the LAF to address security and stability requirements in areas affected by the conflict in Syria. They are also used to professionalize the LAF to “mitigate internal and external threats from non-state actors,” including Hezbollah. The funds are also available to LAF to strengthen border security and implement UNSCR Resolution 1701.
According to the Department of State’s website, the US-LAF partnership builds the LAF’s capacity as the sole legitimate defender of Lebanon’s sovereignty.
In June 2023, the US Army began the distribution of a financial donation offered by the United States to the military and security forces under the “Support Program for Army Personnel and Internal Security Forces.”
According to a communiqué issued by the US Embassy in Lebanon in June 2023, the United States and the United Nations commenced cash distributions to the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) under the “Livelihood Support Program.” This program, valued at $55.5 million, disbursed temporary financial support for more than 70,000 LAF personnel. The payments provide eligible LAF members with $100 per month.
