US pledges $180m support for Lebanon

The United States has pledged to give Lebanon $180m in military aid, following meetings with Lebanese President Michael Sleiman and top US military commanders. “The commander of US Central Command General Lloyd J Austin met President Sleiman and Lebanese army commander General Jan Kahwaji to discuss the security situation in Lebanon,” the US embassy in Beirut said in a statement on Friday. Talks ended with a pledge of $180m in military support, strengthening the capacities of the Lebanese army. Equipment will include new helicopters, naval craft and armoured vehicles as well as arms, ammunition and medical equipment, the statement said. Austin meanwhile said the US is committed to a “stable, sovereign and independent Lebanon.”