US administration releases $105 million in financial aid to Lebanon

Demonstrators gather to stage a protest against the government’s tax policy in Beirut, Lebanon on 23 October, 2019 [Mahmut Geldi/Anadolu Agency]

The administration of US President Donald Trump has finally released $105 million in security assistance to the Lebanese Armed Forces, after a month of unwarranted suspension.

The Associated Press quoted on Tuesday two congressional staff members and a US administration official as saying that the decision to release the aid came just before Thanksgiving holiday (November 28).

According to the agency, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and National Security Council have withheld the aid since September, despite the Congress approval and overwhelming support from the Pentagon, the State Department and the National Security Council.

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The agency added that the White House has not yet explained why it had decided to suspend the aid despite repeated inquiries by Congress.

On November 1, the Trump administration withheld $105 million in security assistance to Lebanon, while Britain decided to support it with $25 million from this year until 2022.

The decision came two days after Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned amid anti-corruption protests.

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