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Delay of French-Saudi military aid to Lebanon a mystery

US military aid has filled a crucial gap in Lebanon as a Saudi-French aid package has been delayed for unknown reasons.
A Lebanese soldier stands guard in front of a ship that delivered military donation from the U.S. government to the Lebanese army, during a ceremony at Beirut's port February 8, 2015. More than 70 M198 Howitzers, as well as 26 million rounds of ammunition including small, medium, and heavy artillery rounds, were delivered on Sunday  from the United States as military aid to the Lebanese army. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir (LEBANON - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY) - RTR4OOO9
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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.

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