U.S. Congress Team Tackles Military Assistance to Lebanon

U.S. Congress Team Tackles Military Assistance to Lebanon

U.S. Congress members on Friday discussed with Lebanese officials military assistance to the Lebanese Army, a U.S. embassy statement reported.

It said seven members of the House of Representatives of the U.S. Congress, who serve on the House Armed Services Committee and House Foreign Affairs Committee, took part in the talks with President Michel Suleiman, Defense Minister Elias Murr and Army Commander Gen. Jean Qahwaji.

The seven-member bipartisan team included Adam Smith (Democrat – Washington State), Susan Davis (Democrat – California), Ted Poe (Republican – Texas), Gabrielle Giffords (Democrat – Arizona), C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger (Democrat – Maryland), Glenn Nye (Democrat – Virginia), and Frank Kratovil (Democrat – Maryland), according to the statement.

It said the team, accompanied by Ambassador Michele Sison, discussed the over 410-million-dollar U.S. military assistance program to the LAF and U.S. plans to continue to upgrade the LAF”s capabilities.

"The United States is committed to building Lebanese state institutions and it will continue to support the government of Lebanon as it continues to safeguard the peace, unity and sovereignty of Lebanon," the statement noted.