WASHINGTON, Aug. 13 (UPI) -- Washington is planning to review the military assistance program to Lebanon following concerns over Hezbollah's ties to the military, a spokesman said.
An Israeli lieutenant colonel was among four soldiers and a journalist killed last week when Israeli and Lebanese forces traded fire along their shared border.
U.S. Rep. Howard Berman, D-Calif., chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said Monday he was withholding roughly $1 million in military aid to Lebanon because he was concerned about Hezbollah's influence over the military.
"I have been concerned for sometime about reported Hezbollah influence on the Lebanese armed forces and its implications for our military assistance program for Lebanon," he said in a Monday statement.
Washington said it was important for Beirut to have an "exclusive monopoly" over the use of force in Lebanon.
Beirut is divided over Hezbollah's weapons. Backers say they're needed to deter Israel, though opponents say Israel would stand down if Hezbollah disarmed.
Mark Toner, a deputy spokesman for the U.S. State Department, told reporters during his daily press briefing that supporting the Lebanese military was in the national interest, adding the views expressed by Berman were under review.
"We believe that in order to best address Congress's concerns and alleviate those concerns and then to continue assistance, hopefully, we're going to review that security assistance program," he said.
