The Lebanese army received a new shipment of weapons from the United States on Feb. 8 as part of aid protocol. A high-ranking Lebanese military official told Al-Monitor that Washington is Lebanon's primary and most committed ally in its war on terrorism.

Since confrontations erupted between the Lebanese army and terrorist groups — such as the Islamic State (IS) and Jabhat al-Nusra — on the Lebanese-Syrian border, the United States has taken the initiative to support the Lebanese army with arms, ammunition and the exchange of information and expertise. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that this support was further reinforced following a meeting of army commanders in Washington on Oct. 13, 2014, in the context of the international coalition against IS.

Lebanon took part in the meeting presided over by US President Barack Obama, even though Lebanon is not an official member of the coalition. This participation came about two months after the deadly clashes in August 2014 between the Lebanese army, IS and Jabhat al-Nusra in Arsal, during which about 40 soldiers and police officers were held hostage. At the meeting, coalition members addressed their roles in the war against terrorism in the Middle East, as well as how to deal with the disparity in opinions between Turkey and the West over the situation in Syria.

The official told Al-Monitor that the Lebanese delegation discussed Lebanon's situation in clear, straightforward words: “Lebanon is not asking for any direct involvement by the coalition on its territory, be it aerial, ground or maritime. The Lebanese army alone is capable of fighting the battle against terrorists. All that is being asked is support through arms, ammunition and equipment.”