The United States has completed the first sales of military equipment and weaponry to Lebanon. The sale of heavier weapons systems is currently under negotiation.
Apparently in the time since the Cedar Revolution in 2006, the Lebanese government has become a tight enough ship that the U.S. feels comfortable sending weaponry in that direction.
But is this a good idea?
It's obvious that the Lebanese army is barely that. Their infrastructure is fractured and their equipment is nearly shot across the board. They are inexperienced and under-equipped, and the U.S. can definitely help with that, if the Lebanese have the cash.
On the other hand, the U.S. is sending an armed-forces wish list to an area where lax inventory controls are a part of the history and terrorist organizations are a part of the landscape. And American weapons are like hot cars in a bad neighborhood: a lot of people want them for parts.
This news just comes with a certain sense of trepidation, doesn't it? The U.S. is mired in wars in two countries that it armed in recent history, and now they're starting over somewhere new.
These sales are meant to bolster Lebanon's governmental military strength so that they will be able to hold Hezbollah and other groups at bay, and strengthen whatever peace they can find.
Israel has of course decried the American re-arming of Lebanon, saying that they don't want to have to defend themselves against these weapons in a few years. Now, it's probably fair that the U.S., after years of basically supplying Israel with an army, is leveling the playing field somewhat.
But leveling the playing field is going to mean war. And not only is the U.S. a historical ally of Israel's, it is also responsible in a fundamental way for the country's existence.
In other words, chances are now higher that the U.S. military will be facing down the very weapons that they are selling the Lebanese in another self-manufactured war.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
