US general pledges support to Lebanon
United States Central Command chief meets Lebanese President, other officials; says US 'committed to supporting legitimate institutions of the Lebanese state'
General James Mattis, the US Central Command chief, on Friday pledged his country would continue to support the Lebanese army, a week after Washington lifted a freeze on military aid to Beirut.
"General Mattis came to Lebanon to reiterate... the US government's position that the United States is committed to the continuity of (the Central Command's) relationship with the Lebanese army and to supporting legitimate institutions of the Lebanese state," the US embassy said.
The general "pledged to continue to support training and engagement assistance to the Lebanese army in order to build greater military capacity and deepen our relationship," it said in a statement.
"The US believes its assistance to the LAF (Lebanese armed forces) contributes to improving regional stability."
Mattis arrived on Friday for a brief visit, his first to Lebanon, during which he met President Michel Sleiman, Defence Minister Elias al-Murr and Lebanese army chief General Jean Kahwaji.
The visit came a week after a key US lawmaker lifted his hold on $100 million in US military aid to Lebanon, saying he was reassured Lebanese troops would try to prevent flare-ups along the border with Israel.
House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Howard Berman said last week he was satisfied with a "thorough" inter-agency review by President Barack Obama's administration of its military assistance program to Lebanon, initiated after his hold in August.
"As a result, I am convinced that implementation of the spending plan will now have greater focus, and I am reassured as to the nature and purposes of the proposed package," Berman said, noting he had been fully briefed about the review.
Last week Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Washington was committed to help restore stability in Lebanon.
The Lebanese people "deserve lasting peace and an end to political violence once and for all," she said in an interview with the Lebanese newspaper An-Nahar published on November 12.
"The United States is committed to that goal, and we will continue supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces to ensure they have the capacity to protect Lebanon's security from threats both internal and external," she added.
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