Hale Confirms US Support for Lebanese Armed Forces
US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Middle East Affairs David Hale reaffirmed his country’s commitment to a free and independent Lebanon and to the implementation of the Doha Agreement and Security Council resolutions 1559, 1680 and 1701.
After meeting with Prime Minister Fouad Siniora at the Grand Serail on Friday, Hale also conveyed US commitment to the institutions of Lebanon and said he was pleased with parliament and its speaker.
“We support the efforts of the Lebanese, especially at the level of national dialogue, in order to avoid violence and secure the exclusive authority of the state over all its territory, and support Lebanon”s efforts to conduct free, fair and transparent parliamentary elections in 2009,” he told reporters at the Grand Serail.
Hale confirmed US support to the Lebanese Armed Forces was “essential” in US policy on Lebanon. “We are working to provide training and equipment to the Lebanese Army to implement UN Resolution 1701, establish internal stability and fight against terrorism.”
The US official also said he strongly supported the work of the Special Tribunal, headed by Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare, and noted that the United States was a major donor to the tribunal with $14 million and an additional $6 million recently.
On Russian assistance to the Lebanese Army, Hale said the move was an indicator of the strong support of the international community to the Lebanese state, its institutions and the Lebanese Army.