Print
EmailSaudis Pledge $3 Billion to Support
Lebanon’s Army
Grant Seeks to Bolster Armed Forces Against Iranian-Backed Hezbollah After Huge Attack
By ELLEN KNICKMEYER And MARIA ABI-HABIB, Dec. 29, 2013
WSJ
BEIRUT—Saudi Arabia pledged a $3 billion grant Sunday to strengthen Lebanon’s armed forces, intervening forcefully after a bloody week in Lebanese politics to bolster the country’s relatively weak army against Hezbollah, the Iranian-allied political group and militia that dominates Lebanon.
Lebanese President Michel Sleiman announced the Saudi gift on Lebanese national television, calling it the largest aid package ever to the country’s armed forces. The donation far exceeds the $1.7 billion Lebanese defense budget for 2012, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Center, and has potential to change the balance of power in Lebanon.
