WASHINGTON (Dispatches) – The United States plans to divert to Lebanon $95mn in military aid that was originally allocated to Egypt, according to an unconfirmed news agency report.
The State Department notification to Congress of the planned shift, the Reuters news agency reported on Monday, names the Lebanese armed forces as “a key partner” in upholding the November 27, 2024, Israel-Lebanon agreement to cease hostilities and to prevent Hezbollah from threatening the Zionist regime.
The move comes after some of President Joe Biden’s fellow Democrats expressed deep concerns about Egypt’s human rights record, particularly the arrest of thousands of political prisoners.
The contents of the document remain unconfirmed. Neither the State Department nor the Egyptian embassy in Washington immediately responded to requests by Reuters for comment.
In September, the U.S. Department of State’s digital publication State said the Biden administration would override human rights conditions on military aid to Egypt to grant Cairo a full allocation of $1.3bn. The total included $95mn tied specifically to progress on the release of political prisoners.
The notification reportedly did not spell out that the $95mn was those funds specifically, but a congressional aide said he did not believe the amount was a coincidence.
Egypt has been a vital partner in the Biden administration’s efforts to get more aid into Gaza and has helped mediate so-far-unsuccessful efforts to secure a ceasefire between the Zionist regime and Hamas.
The September decision to grant the money to Egypt prompted objections from within Congress, including from Democratic Senators Chris Murphy and Chris Coons, both senior members of the Foreign Relations Committee, who released a joint statement decrying the decision.
According to the State Department document, the funds would be made available to professionalize the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), strengthen border security, combat terrorism and address security requirements affected by the shift in power in Syria.
“The United States remains Lebanon’s security partner of choice, and U.S. support to the LAF directly helps secure Lebanon and the wider Levant region,” the notification said.