Trump Releases Aid to Lebanon: Its About Iran and Hezbollah……

The Trump administration released $100M in aid to Lebanon, stating that the purpose was to fight the Terror organization Hezbollah and its patron Iran. Hezbollah has been a player in Lebanon since 1985 and began activities during the war in the previous decade.

The security of Israel is always in the background of U.S. actions in support of Lebanon. AP points out that the aid was released without much pomp and circumstance, but the Hezbollah factor has been in the background of U.S. policy for over two decades.

BACKGROUND from the Trump Whitehouse;

Statement on Hezbollah 2017:

October 8 marked the twentieth anniversary(now 22nd) of the United States’ official designation of Hizballah as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. Hizballah, originally formed as a violent union of Iranian-backed extremists in Lebanon, has terrorized the Middle East and the world since its inception thirty-five years ago.

Hizballah remains a threat to the United States and to the security of nations across the Middle East and beyond. It is time for more nations around the world to join the United States in exposing this murderous organization for what it is, in confronting its networks and its sponsors, and in mobilizing a global response to counter the threat it poses to the civilized world.

Hizballah kidnaps soldiers and civilians, fires rockets on Israeli families and children, and plans terrorist attacks around the world. Hizballah’s 1983 and 1984 bombings of the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon, and its 1983 attacks on the U.S. and French barracks in Beirut, killed hundreds of American, Lebanese, and French citizens.

In recent years, law enforcement has thwarted attempted Hizballah terrorist attacks on nearly every continent—in countries such as Thailand, Cyprus, Kuwait, Peru, and Nigeria. In 2012, Hizballah operatives conducted a successful suicide bombing attack in Bulgaria. We also believe that Hizballah has been operating inside the United States. The FBI recently arrested two U.S. persons for allegedly operating on behalf of Hizballah’s international terrorism unit.

For decades, this terrorist organization has tried to disguise its murderous intentions under the guise of political legitimacy. Hizballah first competed in Lebanese national elections in 1992. Today, Hizballah and its political allies hold half of the seats in Lebanon’s Cabinet and nearly half of the seats in its National Assembly.

On the State of Emergency, Lebanon: On August 1, 2007, by Executive Order 13441, the President declared a national emergency with respect to Lebanon pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701-1706) to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States constituted by the actions of certain persons to undermine Lebanon’s legitimate and democratically elected government or democratic institutions; to contribute to the deliberate breakdown in the rule of law in Lebanon, including through politically motivated violence and intimidation; to reassert Syrian control or contribute to Syrian interference in Lebanon; or to infringe upon or undermine Lebanese sovereignty.  Such actions contribute to political and economic instability in that country and the region.

Certain ongoing activities, such as Iran’s continuing arms transfers to Hizballah — which include increasingly sophisticated weapons systems — serve to undermine Lebanese sovereignty, contribute to political and economic instability in the region, and continue to constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.  For this reason, the national emergency declared on August 1, 2007, and the measures adopted on that date to deal with that emergency, must continue in effect beyond August 1, 2019.  Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency with respect to Lebanon declared in Executive Order 13441.

This notice shall be published in the Federal Register and transmitted to the Congress.

DONALD J. TRUMP

THE WHITE HOUSE,
July 30, 2019.