Lebanese Army Chief Joseph Aoun holds a series of meetings with US figures as part of his visit to Washignton. (Credit: Lebanese Army)
BEIRUT — Lebanese Army chief Joseph Aoun held a series of meetings with U.S. figures as part of his visit to Washington. He discussed ways to enhance American support for the military institution in light of its challenges.
On Thursday, Aoun met with the Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee in Congress, Representative Michael McCaul and Representative Gregory Meeks, the Lebanese Army said on its official X account on Thursday. Aoun also met with several members of the American-Lebanese Friendship Committee in Congress.
It was not clear on which day those meetings took place.
On Wednesday, the army, in a different X post, said that Aoun met with the Chairman of the Armed Services Committee in the U.S. Senate, Senator Jack Reed, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the U.S. Armed Forces, General Charles Q. Brown Jr., and the American Task Force for Lebanon (ATFL).
Aoun discussed "the general conditions in Lebanon and the region" with those he met, as well as "the challenges that the military institution currently faces, and its basic needs to continue to maintain Lebanon’s security and stability," according to the army.
The army leader headed to the U.S. on June 8, to push for American support for the Lebanese Army.
Some argue that this visit carries several political signals, especially at a time when Lebanon awaits a political agreement on the election of a president, and when the Lebanese Army is directly linked to any solution that might emerge regarding the south.
Over the last five years, Lebanon has been plagued by an unprecedented economic crisis where the Lebanese Lira lost more than 90 percent of its value amid massive inflation. As a result, the public sector has seen steadily worsening living conditions.
To overcome these challenges, several countries have supported the Lebanese Army with donations. Last year, the United States participated in a project to provide financial aid to soldiers, along with the U.N.
