According to an unconfirmed news release, the US intends to redirect $95 million in military aid to Lebanon from Egypt.
The Lebanese armed forces are referred to as “a key partner” in the State Department’s notification to Congress on the planned shift, according to a report from Reuters news agency on Monday.
Following the arrest of thousands of political prisoners, some of President Joe Biden’s fellow Democrats expressed grave concerns about Egypt’s human rights record.
The contents of the document remain unconfirmed. Reuters contacted the State Department and the Egyptian Embassy in Washington for comment shortly.
The US Department of State’s Digital Publication State reported in September that Cairo would receive full funding from the US Department of State under the terms of the Biden administration’s human rights order. 95 million dollars were allotted specifically for the progress made in releasing political prisoners.
A congressional aide claimed he did not believe the $95 million was a coincidence, despite the rumor that the notification did not specifically state that the $95 million was those funds.
Egypt has played a significant role in the Biden administration’s efforts to bring more aid to Gaza and have mediated previously unsuccessful negotiations to end Israeli-Hamas hostilities.
Democratic Senators Chris Murphy and Chris Coons, both senior members of the Foreign Relations Committee, released a joint statement decrying the decision in September, which sparked opposition from within the chamber.
The funds would be used to professionalize the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), increase border security, combat terrorism, and meet security requirements as a result of the change in control in Syria, according to the State Department’s document.
According to the notification, “US support to the LAF directly contributes to Lebanon’s security and the wider Levant region,” adding that “the US remains Lebanon’s preferred security partner.”
Bolstering Lebanon’s army could also help ensure Syria’s transition is not disrupted by Iran-backed Shia group Hezbollah, which previously played a major part in propping up al-Assad during Syria’s civil war.
A congressional aide with knowledge of the process said he anticipated lawmakers would approve the administration’s decision to shift the funds to Lebanon under US law, but he only had 15 days to object.
Source: Aljazeera
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