WASHINGTON, Aug. 4 (UPI) -- The United States should be prepared to deliver major military aid to the Lebanese government once a cease-fire is achieved, a top general has said.
"The Lebanese armed forces is ... a small force for Middle Eastern standards of about 50,000 or so, and it needs significant upgrade of equipment and training, a capability that I believe the western nations, in particular the United States, can assist with," said Gen. John Abizaid, commander of U.S. Central Command in the Middle East.
Prior to the Hezbollah attack on Israel and Israel's counter attacks that began the war last month, U.S. Central Command assessed Lebanon's military capability, and drew up a plan that could be immediately implemented.
"We saw that they needed some significant spare parts... I think there will be a need for other assistance to the Lebanese armed forces because it's -- it will never work for Lebanon if, over time, Hezbollah has a greater military capacity than the Lebanese armed forces," Abizaid told the Senate Armed Services Committee.
"The Lebanese armed forces must extend the sovereignty of the nation throughout the country," he said.
Any international force deployed to southern Lebanon -- which is being contemplated by the United Nations Security Council -- will need the latitude to use lethal force.
"Robust rules of engagement means that the commander has the ability to effect the mandate that's been given to him by the international community, to include the use of all available means at his forces' disposal. And I think in the case of southern Lebanon, he'll have to have capabilities that are just not minor, small arms, but would include all arms," Abizaid said. "I would say that I served with (U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon) back in the mid-'80s, and it was not capable of really enforcing peace and security in the region."
