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US to provide $72 million in salaries for Lebanon’s cash-strapped army, police

Washington's support for Lebanese military staff comes nearly two years after country's top general warned of desertions and his troops' inability to afford food.
A Lebanese soldier walks past an American flag flying next to US made Bradley Fighting Vehicles at the port of Beirut on August 14, 2017. (Photo credit should read PATRICK BAZ/AFP via Getty Images)

US Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea said on Wednesday that Washington will reroute $72 million in US aid money to Lebanon to help pay wages for the country’s soldiers and police.

Why it matters: The United States is the largest supplier of aid to Lebanon’s armed forces, but Wednesday’s announcement marks the first time Washington has provided funds to pay the wages of the country’s security forces.

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