US Arms Lebanese Military

by Charles Chuman

Bobby Worth of the _New York Times_ has an excellent “piece “:http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/26/world/middleeast/26lebanon.html on US military aid to the Lebanese Armed Forces.
The primary concern most Americans have about supplying military aid to Lebanon is that the weapons will be used against the United States, Israel, and other American allies. In a country known for corruption and with a history of arms dealing, might these weapons be sold into the wrong hands? The article calms such fears claiming, “American-driven audits have shown that almost nothing given to the army has ended up in Hezbollah’s hands.”
For many years, the United States provided more aid to the Lebanese military than any other country. The Lebanese often mocked this aid comparing it to that the Israelis receive. However, no other country supplied the Lebanese with nearly as much aid as the United States. Many Northern Europeans countries are legally forbidden to supply military aid and technology to countries in a state of war. Other countries did not prioritize giving to Lebanon.