The White House will send $95m to Lebanon, citing regional security, while addressing human rights concerns in Egypt, Reuters reports.
The United States plans to divert to Lebanon $95m in military aid originally given to Egypt, according to an unconfirmed news report.
The State Department’s notification to Congress about the planned change, said Reuters news agency on Monday, calls the Lebanese army “a key partner” in support of the November 27, 2024, Israel-Lebanon agreement to stop hostilities and prevent Hezbollah. threatening Israel.
The move comes after some Democrats and President Joe Biden expressed serious concern about Egypt’s human rights record, particularly the detention of thousands of political prisoners.
The content of the document remains unconfirmed. Neither the State Department nor the Egyptian embassy in Washington immediately responded to Reuters requests for comment.
In September, a US State Department digital publication said the Biden administration would violate human rights conditions for military aid to Egypt in exchange for giving Cairo its full share of $1.3bn. The total includes $95m tied directly to progress on the release of political prisoners.
The notice reportedly did not indicate that the $95m was specifically for those funds, but a congressional aide said he did not believe the money was an accident.
Egypt has been a key partner in the Biden administration’s efforts to secure more aid to Gaza and has helped mediate so far unsuccessful efforts to end the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
The September decision to grant Egypt the money drew opposition from Congress, including Democratic senators Chris Murphy and Chris Coons, both senior members of the Foreign Relations Committee, who issued a joint statement condemning the decision.
According to the State Department document, these funds will be available for the use of the Lebanon Armed Forces (LAF), strengthening border security, combating terrorism and addressing security needs affected by the power transition in Syria.
“The United States remains Lebanon’s security partner of choice, and US support for the LAF directly helps protect Lebanon and the wider Levant region,” the statement said.
Strengthening the Lebanese army would also help ensure that the Syrian revolution is not disrupted by the Iranian-backed Shia group, Hezbollah, which previously played a major role in supporting al-Assad during the Syrian civil war.
Under US law, Congress has 15 days to veto the rerouting of military aid, but a congressional aide familiar with the plan said he expected lawmakers to approve the transfer of funds to Lebanon.
“This is a way of saying, ‘This subsidy that Egypt didn’t deserve and didn’t really need, let’s restructure that and put it in a better place,'” the aide told Reuters.
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