The US-provided Humvees arriving at the Beirut port on Tuesday. (Lebanese Army Twitter)
BEIRUT — The Lebanese Army received 150 Humvee military vehicles on Tuesday from the United States as part of an aid program offered by Washington, according to an Army Twitter post on Wednesday.
Here’s What We Know:
• Last Saturday, the US also sent ammunition to the Lebanese Army, according to the Army’s Twitter account.
• Lebanon is struggling to provide for the Army and pay soldiers’ salaries amid the financial crisis. Another recent instance of international support to the Army was Qatar’s donation of $60 million at the end of June, which will reportedly be distributed as an extra $100 to each soldier’s monthly salary.
• The US has in the past used military aid to Lebanon to compel the Army to disempower Hezbollah, as was done in the Berman-Lowey initiative in 2012, when according to the Lebanese army’s website, the US stopped sending aid to Lebanon because of Hezbollah’s influence. US military assistance is intended to allow the Army to “counter internal threats,” and ensure that it is the “sole legitimate defender of Lebanon’s sovereignty,” according to the US State Department website.
