US weighs options as Lebanon’s allies move to assist military
The Pentagon and State Department are exploring "creative ways" to help the Lebanese armed forces offset their costs amid financial crisis.
The State Department notified Congress last week of a plan to grant the Lebanese armed forces an additional $15 million in foreign military funding, bringing the fiscal year's total to $120 million.
The funds, to be drawn from the overseas contingencies operations budget, will cover spare parts to maintain US-made military equipment as well as longer-term support for Lebanon's border security and counterterrorism operations.
But US aid alone may not be enough. The Lebanese military's top commander, Gen. Joseph Aoun, has been sounding the alarm for months about the army’s inability to adequately pay the more than 80,000 troops under his command.
Lebanon’s currency has lost 90% of its value since late 2019, leaving the country with worsening food, fuel and electricity shortages from which the armed forces are not exempt. The country’s financial implosion is likely to be among the worst the world has seen in 150 years, the World Bank said earlier this month.
