<%@LANGUAGE="VBSCRIPT" CODEPAGE="1252"%> WorldTribune.com: Mobile — Israel concerned as U.S. resumes shipments to Lebanon after election

Israel concerned as U.S. resumes shipments to Lebanon after election

Wedenesday, June 24, 2009   E-Mail this story   Free Headline Alerts

NICOSIA — The United States, ending a lull of more than a year, is again shipping military equipment to Lebanon, despite misgivings by Israeli leaders.

Officials said the U.S. Defense Department oversaw the delivery of combat vehicles to the Lebanese Army in June 2009. They said the delivery came in wake of Lebanese parliamentary elections, won by a coalition of pro-U.S. political parties.

"The overall goal of U.S. military assistance to Lebanon is to strengthen the Lebanese armed forces and increase its capacity to defend Lebanon’s borders," the U.S. embassy in Beirut said.

But Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak is concerned about the influence of Iran and Syrian in Lebanon, wielded by Hizbullah, according to the current edition of Geostrategy-Direct.com.

"We really don't like the supply of American weapons to Lebanon in recent months," Barak said. "We are still concerned and think that some of these means may ultimately reach Hizbullah."

In a June 22 statement, the embassy said 75 Humvee tactical military vehicles arrived in Lebanon in mid-June. The embassy said the United States plans to ship another 200 Humvees to Beirut by the end of 2009.

"Last week, the U.S. government provided 75 Humvee tactical military vehicles to LAF," the embassy said. "By the end of the year, the United States will provide an additional 200 of these vehicles, the same model used around the world by the U.S. military."

Officials said the administration of President Barack Obama had feared a Hizbullah victory in Lebanese parliamentayr elections, which took place on June 7. They said Obama and Vice President Joseph Biden sent a series of messages that warned against a Hizbullah takeover.

The Obama administration has pledged to supply the Lebanese Army with heavy weapons and aircraft. Officials said this would include the M-60A3 main battle tank, the Raven unmanned aerial vehicle, helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft and artillery.

Since 2006, the United States has provided the Lebanese Army and security forces with more than $410 million worth of military equipment. Most of the shipments had consisted of Humvees and ammunition.

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