Maj. W. Thomas Smith Jr.

The U.S. Embassy in Beirut is reporting today’s meetings between U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus – commander of the U.S. Central Command – and Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and Lt. Gen. Jean Kahwaji, commander-in-chief of the Lebanese armed forces.

According to an Embassy statement: “The discussions focused on the United States’ continued assistance to the Lebanese Armed Forces so it can maintain peace and stability, and safeguard the Lebanese people. The U.S. Government has provided over $410 million in military aid to the Lebanese Armed Forces and it will continue to support the legitimate institutions of the Lebanese government and the Lebanese people as they seek to preserve their independence and security.”

No surprise, as we’ve been reporting our $ millions in military assistance to Lebanon for months. And there is no question but that we must assist Lebanon and regain our vital Lebanese front (which we’ve lost to the Iranian-Syrian-Hizballah axis in the months since Lebanon-based Hizballah attacked the Lebanese government and citizenry in May 2008). But should we not be supporting the pro-democracy resistance against Hizballah instead of the army?
 
Let’s not forget:

• The Lebanese army – then under the command of Gen. Michel Sleiman (Kahwaji’s predecessor) – refused to fight Hizballah in May.
• Hizballah – a U.S. State Department designated terrorist organization which our own Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff says “makes Al Qaeda look like a minor league team” – has heavily infiltrated the army.
• Hizballah is now considered an official wing of the overall Lebanese Defense apparatus.
• Iran – a designated state sponsor of terrorism – finances Hizballah to the tune of $ one billion annually.
• Sleiman – who is today president of Lebanon in part because he refused to fight Hizballah in May – signed a five-year defense pact with Iran last week.
• Kahwaji has returned from Syria – also a designated state sponsor of terrorism, which has long provided operational support to Hizballah — where he was schmoozing with his Syrian counterpart Gen. Ali Habib just a few days ago.

Don’t misunderstand me: I am a huge supporter of both Gen. Petraeus (who no doubt will go down in history as one of the great captains of counterinsurgency) and Lebanon. But if anyone would simply take the time to connect the dots, they would come to no other conclusion but that our Lebanese policy is seriously and dangerously flawed.
 
— Visit W. Thomas Smith Jr. at uswriter.com.

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