U.S. Foreign Aid to Lebanon: Issues for Congress

Abstract

In Lebanon today, there is a battle for political primacy between the anti-Syrian, pro-Western government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and the opposition, led by the Hezbollah and former General Michel Aoun. Each camp has its external patrons; the United States, France, and Saudi Arabia support Siniora, while Syria and Iran back the opposition. The 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war and Hezbollah s subsequent campaign to obstruct the government through street protests and general strikes have placed enormous strains on the Siniora-led government. In order to prevent Lebanon s fragile sectarian political system from imploding and to strengthen pro- Western and anti-Syrian elements, the United States has pledged to significantly increase its assistance to Lebanon. For FY2007, the Administration is requesting an estimated $770 million in supplemental aid from Congress. This report analyzes this request, highlighting potential issues of concern for Members.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 21, 2007
Accession Number
ADA468568

Entities

People

  • Jeremy M. Sharp

Organizations

  • Library of Congress

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Civil War
  • Congress
  • Department Of State
  • Foreign Aid
  • Foreign Relations
  • Governments
  • Middle East
  • Military Assistance
  • Munitions
  • National Governments
  • Political Systems
  • Security
  • Terrorists
  • Training
  • Unexploded Ammunition
  • United States
  • Weapons

Fields of Study

  • Political science

Readers

  • East Asian Political and Security Studies within the Soviet Union
  • International Relations and Conflict Resolution
  • Strategic Security Studies