US Faces Dilemma as Lebanon Elections Loom

The real purpose of aid to Lebanon is made clear in this article: to shore up support for US policies. Since Hezbollah is branded as a terrorist organisation of course military and probably most other aid will be cut off. The US loves rhetoric about democracy but when the reality is that democracy produces regimes inimical to US policy every attempt is made to destroy them. This is evident in the case of Hezbollah in Lebanon and even more so with Hamas in Gaza. The US also remains on friendly terms with autocratic regimes such as Saudi Arabia which also are neanderthal when it comes to women's rights.


US Faces Dilemma as Lebanon Elections Loom
Experts Say US Will Pull Military Aid if Opposition Wins
by Jason Ditz, June 04, 2009
With the Lebanese election just days away, the Hezbollah-led opposition is still seen likely to make major gains, potentially enough to seize power. Should that happen, a US government that has been pumping hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid into the Mediterranean nation will be facing an uncomfortable choice.
Experts say the US will definitely kill off the military aid program in the event of a Hezbollah victory, following through on its pledge that it will have no dealings with Hezbollah. Yet they say the US is unlikely to completely abandon relations with Lebanon in that event, fearing Iran may step in to fill any void left by the US.
Last month, Vice President Joe Biden visted Lebanon, and while he insisted that he “did not come here to back any institution or political party,” he made it very clear that US aid to the nation was contingent on the Lebanese voters not electing the opposition.
While Hezbollah is officially designated as a terrorist organization by the US, and has a reputation as a hawkish Islamist faction, its opposition bloc also includes a good percentage of the nation’s Christian voters, and its campaign has emphasized support for the nation’s religious diversity.