General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMystery grows over Trump administration hold on Lebanon aid
https://apnews.com/4bae0513e28647c59b74bcf51f7550a5WASHINGTON (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: Whats the problem? Hale told the impeachment investigators.
Not sure how many saw this on November 22nd, but here it is. Apologies to LBN hosts.
Mike 03
(16,616 posts)Thanks for posting. I completely missed this story.
gratuitous
(82,849 posts)And the answer, as always, was, "It's good you done that, Donny. Real good."
dewsgirl
(14,961 posts)CatMor
(6,212 posts)in his pea brain it shows the power he has which is all he cares about.
PatrickforO
(14,514 posts)CatMor
(6,212 posts)I meant to write baby peas.
TheRickles
(1,999 posts)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?
mountain grammy
(26,568 posts)Calista241
(5,584 posts)are we giving them military aid?
reACTIONary
(5,749 posts)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)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.
spanone
(135,627 posts)kentuck
(110,947 posts)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?
unblock
(51,973 posts)mountain grammy
(26,568 posts)thesquanderer
(11,953 posts)"So I'm innocent!"
NewJeffCT
(56,827 posts)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)... this makes no sense.
That allows any president to do what they will with federal funds
AtheistCrusader
(33,982 posts)There's probably no material reason for it. He's just fucking around now. Taunting.
RainCaster
(10,673 posts)This is how he proves it.
uponit7771
(90,225 posts)Wounded Bear
(58,436 posts)Lonestarblue
(9,874 posts)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 programs 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.
steve2470
(37,456 posts)McKim
(2,412 posts)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)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 ?