The White House is to send $95m to Lebanon, citing regional security, while monitoring human rights concerns in Egypt, Reuters reports.
The United States plans to divert $95 million to Lebanon in military aid that was originally given to Egypt, according to a report from an unconfirmed news agency.
The State Department has informed Congress of the planned move, Reuters news agency reported on Monday, citing the Lebanese armed forces as a “key partner” in maintaining the November 27, 2024, Israel-Lebanon Agreement to end hostilities and prevent Hezbollah from threatening Israel.
The move comes after some of President Joe Biden's fellow Democrats expressed serious concerns about Egypt's human rights record, particularly the detention 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 from Reuters for comment.
In September, the US State Department's digital publication State said the Biden administration would override human rights conditions on military aid to Egypt to provide Cairo with a full allocation of $1.3bn. The total included $95m linked primarily to progress on the release of political prisoners.
The announcement reportedly did not specify that the $95m was that money, but a congressional aide said he did not think it was a coincidence.
Egypt has been a key partner in the Biden administration's efforts to get more aid into Gaza and has helped mediate so far unsuccessful efforts to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
The September decision to give money to Egypt drew protests from within Congress, including Democratic Senators Chris Murphy and Chris Coons, the two senior members of the Foreign Relations Committee, who sent a issued a joint statement rejecting the decision.
According to the State Department document, the money would be available to professionalize the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), strengthen border security, combat terrorism and address security requirements affected by the transition of power in Syria.
“The United States remains Lebanon's preferred security partner, and US support for the LAF directly helps secure Lebanon and the wider Levant region,” the statement said.
Strengthening Lebanese army it could also help ensure that Iran-backed Shia group Hezbollah does not upset the Shia movement, which was previously instrumental in propping up al-Assad during the Syrian civil war.
Under US law, Congress has 15 days to oppose reallocating military aid, but a congressional aide familiar with the process said he expected lawmakers to welcome the move. administration to Lebanon.
“This is a way of saying, 'This funding that Egypt really didn't deserve and doesn't need, let's reschedule that and put this in a better place,'” the aide told Reuters .
