Iran Ready To Fill Lebanon Military Aid Gap From US

[Purveyor]

Source: Sydney Morning Herald


JASON KOUTSOUKIS
August 12, 2010

JERUSALEM: Iran has promised Lebanese officials that it will make up any shortfall left by a US decision to suspend $US100 million ($110 million) worth of military aid to Lebanon.

Direct Iranian military aid to Lebanon would exacerbate tensions along the Israeli-Lebanese border that erupted last week when a Lebanese Army sniper killed an Israeli officer involved in a brush-clearing operation.

Israeli troops responded, killing two Lebanese soldiers and one Lebanese journalist.

The clash, the worst since Israel's 2006 war against Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Shiite movement that controls southern Lebanon, has revived fears that Hezbollah has infiltrated the Lebanese Army.

US congressional Democrats Howard Berman and Nita Lowey said they were suspending the aid pending the results of further investigations into the border clash because of concerns that US aid might be used to buy arms that could be turned against Israel.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/iran-ready-to-fill-lebanon-military-aid-gap-from-us-20100811-11zq1.html