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Biden Pays Army Salaries to Iranian Ally
An unprecedented new salary assistance program for the Lebanese military is ‘cleverly’ structured to evade U.S. law
by
Tony Badran
February 09, 2022
As part of its policy of pouring taxpayer money into Hezbollah-dominated Lebanon, the Biden administration notified Congress late last month that it was repurposing $67 million in aid to the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) in order to provide them with “livelihood support.” Less than a week later, the administration followed with another notification, which has not yet been reported, that it was repurposing a separate $16.5 million, also for “livelihood support,” to Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces (ISF). With this action, the administration is stretching standard U.S. practice pertaining to longstanding foreign assistance programs beyond all recognition, and abusing the authorities Congress has provided them. More troubling still, by injecting nearly $84 million into Lebanon with no ability to oversee how it ultimately gets spent, the administration could very well entangle the United States in terrorism financing.
https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/israel-middle-east/articles/biden-pays-army-salaries-to-iranian-ally
