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U.S. Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Eric Edelman (AP) del.icio.us Digg It!  new Last update - 09:51 19/10/2007 Pentagon: U.S. to build 'strategic partnership' with Lebanese army By The Associated Press A senior Pentagon official said Thursday the U.S. military would like to see a strategic partnership with Lebanon's army to strengthen the country's forces so that Hezbollah would have no excuse to bear arms. The comments by Eric Edelman, undersecretary of defense for policy, in an interview aired on Lebanese television two days after his visit, followed a published report in Beirut that Washington is proposing a treaty with Lebanon to make it a strategic partner to counter increased Russian influence in neighboring Syria. The report, published by the opposition-leaning newspaper As-Safir, was at the time vigorously denied by the government and ridiculed by the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon. Advertisement "This is totally untrue," said Ahmed Fatfat, a leading member of the government team who holds the youth and sports portfolio, adding that Lebanon neither sought nor had the Americans asked for such a treaty. Edelman's remarks, however, shed a new light on the emerging relationship between the Lebanese and U.S. militaries two months after the al-Qaida-inspired Fatah Islam group was crushed in a 3-month long battle. "What we've been trying to do consistently is to create circumstances in which Lebanon can have a strong state, strong army, a democratic system with the military accountable to civilian control and to the government and to the people's representatives in the parliament," he said on the privately owned Lebanese Broadcasting Corp. television. "We believe it's in our interest to have a strong democratic state in Lebanon ... That's what we're working toward." The military in Lebanon is an all-volunteer force of 56,000, with about 220 battle tanks, no effective air power and no air defense system. It has over the decades been unable to halt Israeli incursions and take full control of its territory from armed groups like Hezbollah and Palestinian guerrillas. During the 1975-90 civil war, it fractured along sectarian lines. Since the Second Lebanon, Lebanon's army deployed for the first time along the Israeli border with the help of 13,000 peacekeepers. Since that time, the United States has sharply increased its military assistance to Lebanon to $270 million in 2007 - more than five times the amount provided a year ago. Lebanon's opposition led by Hezbollah, the Shiite Muslim militant group allied to Iran and Syria, has accused Washington of seeking to take control of Lebanon and destroy the it. The heavily armed guerrilla group fought Israel to a standstill during last year's Second Lebanon War. Asked whether helping the Lebanese army aimed at eventually taking on Hezbollah, Edelman said that as the army strengthens its capabilities there will be less excuse for other armed groups to continue to bear arms. "I think what we will see over time is if we have an army that is capable of fulfilling all the normal requirements of a state then the idea of having other armed forces that are not accountable to the government or the people's elected representatives would no longer be necessary." Beirut's As-Safir newspaper reported Thursday that the U.S. proposal for a treaty was to counter the heavy Russian presence in northern Syria which presents a danger to the American presence in the region. There has been speculation for the last two years of Russia seeking to establish a naval base in northern Syria, once a close Russian ally in the Middle East. Under the blueprint of the alleged treaty, the United States will provide the Lebanese army with assistance and training and intelligence while Beirut would allow the establishment bases, radar stations and other facilities. The report added that the Americans wanted the Lebanese army's current doctrine, which describes Syria as a friendly state, Israel an enemy and Hezbollah as the resistance to the Israeli occupation, changed. In his interview, however, Edelman maintained the United States was not putting conditions on Lebanon for assistance, saying it was up to the Lebanese to decide what strategy and military doctrine to adopt. But in a remark that is certain to anger the opposition, particularly Hezbollah which Washington brands as a terrorist organization, Edelman added: "I don't see any reason why Israel and Lebanon have to be enemies. Israel has peace treaties with two of its neighbors. I think in time there is no reason why there shouldn't be one between Lebanon and Israel as well." Related articles: Nasrallah: Lebanon war crushed U.S. vision for 'new Middle East' U.S. diplomats begin viewing Lebanon war as success Lebanon's Siniora slams hike in U.S. military assistance to Israel Today in Haaretz: Olmert visits Russia for talks on Iran's nuclear program Israel refuses to recognize Greek Orthodox patriarch amid battle over J'lem property Bookmark to del.icio.us Administrative orphans Six Hebron children, whose parents were arrested, were left with their grandmother. Change the past Father of Jewish psychology suggests avoiding picking away at the scars of the past.   1.   Good Move 03:15  |  Jane 19/10/07   2.   America loves Israel 03:17  |  lori cowen 19/10/07   3.   This is useless, without crushing Hezbollah first. 03:30  |  Genuine Tosefta 19/10/07   4.   What Edelman really means is... 03:40  |  Veritas 19/10/07   5.   BUT WE DONT WANT U IN OUR LAND STAY AWAY 03:51  |  TRUE LEBO 19/10/07   6.   LORI COWEN of southfield MI. what about you 05:01  |  cristo 19/10/07   7.   Push the rewind button 05:21  |  Mark Lincoln 19/10/07   8.   Civil War Lebanon Style 05:30  |  Rick 19/10/07   9.   america, STAY OUT 05:37  |  VIPER 19/10/07   10.   Hmmmm, not sure the USA has followed the logic 07:23  |  Johnboy 19/10/07   11.   Great. But will they engage Hezballah and Revolutionary Guards? 07:44  |  Fortuina Benmayor 19/10/07   12.   ANOTHER RESULT OF OLMERT-LIVNI DEFEATIST LEBANON POLICIES))) 07:51  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 19/10/07   13.   TAKE CONTROL OVER LEBANON, DON`T LET PENTAGON BUILD UP THE ENEMY 07:53  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 19/10/07   14.   Oh Great ! 08:36  |  Philippe 19/10/07   15.   give`m anti air defense 08:43  |  fadi 19/10/07   16.   Do You Remember? 08:54  |  Sam 19/10/07   17.   Lincoln`s Funky Rewind Button #7 09:00  |  FOX 19/10/07   18.   Another Experiment on the Expense of Israel 09:38  |  Gil 19/10/07   19.   To Viper, our Vapid varmint #9 09:40  |  FOX 19/10/07   20.   who decide? 09:44  |  Imad 19/10/07   21.   Never 10:03  |  Maral 19/10/07   22.   No Need for Hizballah 10:14  |  Mike 19/10/07   23.   FOX, caught you! 10:17  |  Maral 19/10/07   24.   Another war is underway. Location...let me guess Lebanon? 10:36  |  Tamir Palestine 19/10/07   25.   FOX re Maral, aren`t you gonna anwser this bitch?? 10:41  |  Tamir Palestine 19/10/07   26.   Fadi Forgets who fired the first shot in Lebanon 10:58  |  Petra 19/10/07   27.   Tamir ya khara 11:00  |  Maral 19/10/07   28.   Question for ha`aretz 11:06  |  sh 19/10/07   29.   Maral, caught in your lair 11:15  |  FOX 19/10/07   30.   AIPAC Staffer, Haliburton, Bechtel and US Base in Lebanon. 11:25  |  Maureen Ann 19/10/07   31.   Fox, all over the place 11:58  |  Maral 19/10/07   32.   The Lebanese are strongger 12:12  |  Imad 19/10/07   33.   #19, FOX, to reply, i am not a war mongerer 03:42  |  VIPER 20/10/07   34.   ENOUGH IS ENOUGH you war mongerers 03:48  |  VIPER 20/10/07   35.   Viper #33 Your ignorance our woes 12:43  |  FOX 20/10/07   36.   Nasrallah will soon be packing his bags... 16:57  |  Barry 20/10/07   37.   Fadi, no bravery here, only superior intelligence 17:01  |  Barry 20/10/07   38.   Imad 19:30  |  Eric 20/10/07   39.   Ominous `strategic partnership` with worst enemy 12:42  |  Raymond Deane 21/10/07

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