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steve2470

(37,456 posts)
Mon Nov 25, 2019, 09:49 AM Nov 2019

Mystery grows over Trump administration hold on Lebanon aid

https://apnews.com/4bae0513e28647c59b74bcf51f7550a5

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is withholding more than $100 million in U.S. military assistance to Lebanon that has been approved by Congress and is favored by his national security team, an assertion of executive control of foreign aid that is similar to the delay in support for Ukraine at the center of the impeachment inquiry.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday congratulated Lebanon as the country marked its independence day but made no mention of the hold-up in aid that State Department and Pentagon officials have complained about for weeks.

It came up in impeachment testimony by David Hale, the No. 3 official in the State Department, according to the transcript of the closed-door hearing released this week. He described growing consternation among diplomats as the administration would neither release the aid nor provide an explanation for the hold.

“People started asking: What’s the problem?” Hale told the impeachment investigators.


Not sure how many saw this on November 22nd, but here it is. Apologies to LBN hosts.
26 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Mystery grows over Trump administration hold on Lebanon aid (Original Post) steve2470 Nov 2019 OP
Kick and Rec Mike 03 Nov 2019 #1
People started asking, "What's the problem?" gratuitous Nov 2019 #2
I bet Putin knows. dewsgirl Nov 2019 #3
It seems trump enjoys doing this .... CatMor Nov 2019 #4
You really think his brain is that large? n/t PatrickforO Nov 2019 #16
My mistake .. CatMor Nov 2019 #21
Will he also withhold aid to Israel? TheRickles Nov 2019 #5
+a million mountain grammy Nov 2019 #10
Why military aid? Humanitarian aid I could understand, but why Calista241 Nov 2019 #6
Interesting question, so I looked into it a bit... reACTIONary Nov 2019 #25
Nice research, and thank you. Military aid makes sense now. Calista241 Nov 2019 #26
hey, what's a little more extortion? spanone Nov 2019 #7
Get over it! They do it all the time. kentuck Nov 2019 #8
exactly! the best way to show they do it all the time is to do it all the time! unblock Nov 2019 #9
No mystery. Putin mountain grammy Nov 2019 #11
"See? I didn't withhold $ from Ukraine for Biden investigation. I did it to make Putin happy." thesquanderer Nov 2019 #23
Time for the House to review ALL aid NewJeffCT Nov 2019 #12
How can the president ... LEGALLY ... withhold congressionally mandated funds without congress? uponit7771 Nov 2019 #13
I think this is his idea of trolling. AtheistCrusader Nov 2019 #18
He is the king, not co-equal with legislative and judicial branches RainCaster Nov 2019 #19
+1, republicans want Americans to elect kings that die in office. This sucks uponit7771 Nov 2019 #20
Dems govern, Repubs rule...nt Wounded Bear Nov 2019 #22
From the NYT Lonestarblue Nov 2019 #14
good find, thanks! nt steve2470 Nov 2019 #15
The Idea is to Weaken Lebanon McKim Nov 2019 #17
Is it not plain ?!! Pluvious Nov 2019 #24

gratuitous

(82,849 posts)
2. People started asking, "What's the problem?"
Mon Nov 25, 2019, 09:54 AM
Nov 2019

And the answer, as always, was, "It's good you done that, Donny. Real good."

CatMor

(6,212 posts)
4. It seems trump enjoys doing this ....
Mon Nov 25, 2019, 10:05 AM
Nov 2019

in his pea brain it shows the power he has which is all he cares about.

TheRickles

(1,999 posts)
5. Will he also withhold aid to Israel?
Mon Nov 25, 2019, 10:29 AM
Nov 2019

Given that Trump seeks to root out corruption in other nations (ie, Ukraine), and has no qualms about withholding aid to make a political point (Ukraine, Lebanon), can we expect the US to hold back our aid to Israel now that its Prime Minister has been indicted on corruption charges?

reACTIONary

(5,749 posts)
25. Interesting question, so I looked into it a bit...
Mon Nov 25, 2019, 12:45 PM
Nov 2019

This seems to be from a conservative think tank publication, but it explains the rational:


The Pentagon holds the view that if Washington stops the aid, it would lose a major point of access to the Mediterranean and forfeit the largest investment it has ever made in Lebanon. The United States also would effectively cede the country to Iran, which is dying to see the Americans leave, and invite Russia, which is chomping at the bit to get its hands on the Lebanese military and ultimately expand its regional presence at the expense of U.S. interests. Finally, the United States would abandon a dependable military partner who has done a superior job, thanks to U.S. support, battling ISIS and al-Qaeda.


Why Cutting Military Aid to Lebanon Would be a Mistake

Calista241

(5,584 posts)
26. Nice research, and thank you. Military aid makes sense now.
Mon Nov 25, 2019, 01:34 PM
Nov 2019

But like with all things military, you need to fight to win, or you need to not fight at all. I hope the Pentagon is giving them what they need to win, rather than just continuing to fight another day.

kentuck

(110,947 posts)
8. Get over it! They do it all the time.
Mon Nov 25, 2019, 10:33 AM
Nov 2019

Is that what they want people to think? Associate it with the holding of aid to Ukraine? See how common it is?

Or is this another time when Putin is calling in a card?

thesquanderer

(11,953 posts)
23. "See? I didn't withhold $ from Ukraine for Biden investigation. I did it to make Putin happy."
Mon Nov 25, 2019, 12:41 PM
Nov 2019

"So I'm innocent!"

NewJeffCT

(56,827 posts)
12. Time for the House to review ALL aid
Mon Nov 25, 2019, 10:58 AM
Nov 2019

that is sent to other nations to see if there has been any delay in disbursement of the funds and/or any conditions attached.

uponit7771

(90,225 posts)
13. How can the president ... LEGALLY ... withhold congressionally mandated funds without congress?
Mon Nov 25, 2019, 11:04 AM
Nov 2019

... this makes no sense.

That allows any president to do what they will with federal funds

AtheistCrusader

(33,982 posts)
18. I think this is his idea of trolling.
Mon Nov 25, 2019, 11:21 AM
Nov 2019

There's probably no material reason for it. He's just fucking around now. Taunting.

Lonestarblue

(9,874 posts)
14. From the NYT
Mon Nov 25, 2019, 11:05 AM
Nov 2019

“The U.S. has some legitimate concerns about the Lebanese Armed Forces’ performance, but the FMF should resume quickly and publicly: both because of the program’s merit in terms of improving the LAF's counterterrorism performance but also to undermine the Hezbollah-Iranian-Syrian-Russian narrative that the U.S. is unreliable,” Feltman he told the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday.” https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2019/11/22/us/politics/ap-us-united-states-lebanon.html?searchResultPosition=1

Notice that Syria and Russia benefit.


McKim

(2,412 posts)
17. The Idea is to Weaken Lebanon
Mon Nov 25, 2019, 11:18 AM
Nov 2019

The idea is to weaken Lebanon just she needs a stronger, stable and honest government. Sewing chaos in the Middle East and destroying functional governments there seems to be the long term plan. We have destroyed Iraq, Syria, Lybia and it sounds like Lebanon is next. I have visited Lebanon twice to see the hopeful rebuilding after the wars. Those people deserve our help.
They are bravely rebuilding Beirut into a once again great city. It is a tribute to human hope to see the the Lebanese golden stone buildings rebuilt in the Ottoman style. We should not let them down!

Pluvious

(4,276 posts)
24. Is it not plain ?!!
Mon Nov 25, 2019, 12:44 PM
Nov 2019

It's quite obvious...

This is the Chosen One's country now, has been since he "took it over."

Why should HE give them money, what's in it for HIM ?

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