Washington has fulfilled its pledge to Beirut, as the U.S. delivered a remaining four out of six military aircrafts to the Lebanese army. The first two planes were delivered to Lebanon in October 2017, which according to a security source in Lebanon, signified a big upgrade for the Lebanese Armed Forces. Lebanon’s Military commander General Joseph Aoun said the delivery marked an “important and significant step” in efforts to develop the army’s capacity. (Sync C 1 1 00:26 – 00:50) The aircraft delivery is a sign of continued U.S. support to Lebanon, despite Israeli accusations that the Lebanese military is controlled by the powerful Iranian-backed militia, Hezbollah. During a ceremony in Lebanon’s Hamat Air Base, U.S. Ambassador Elizabeth Richard hailed what she described as “a strong bond” between Washington and Beirut. (Sync C 1 2 01:24 – 01:40) Directly affected by the conflict in neighboring Syria and other developments in the Middle East, Lebanon has been a big recipient of foreign aid to help it cope with hosting one million Syrian refugees.
