Iran offers support to Lebanese army

Iran has offered support to Lebanon's army, a week after a deadly cross-border clash between Lebanon and Israel which prompted U.S. lawmakers to block funding to the Lebanese military.

The offer from Iran, which supports Lebanon's militant Shiite group Hezbollah, could fuel Western concern that Tehran is increasing its influence near Israel's northern border.

Israel said it had complained to Washington and Paris about funds to the Lebanese army after a skirmish left two Lebanese soldiers, a Lebanese journalist and a senior Israeli officer dead in the worst border violence since a 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas.

Iran's ambassador to Lebanon met Lebanese army chief Jean Kahwaji on Monday and said Tehran was ready to "cooperate with the Lebanese army in any area that would help the military in performing its national role in defending Lebanon".

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is expected to visit Beirut next month.

US lawmakers holding up millions

Two U.S. Democrat lawmakers said they were holding up $100 million that was approved for Lebanon's army but not yet spent. A senior House Republican, Eric Cantor, said future funding should be stopped too, pending an inquiry into the clash.

Howard Berman, the Democratic chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement Monday that he had placed the hold on August 2, pointing to last week's deadly clash between Israeli and Lebanese troops along the countries' shared border.

"Until we know more about this incident and the nature of Hezbollah influence on the LAF (Lebanese Armed Forces) -- and can assure that the LAF is a responsible actor -- I cannot in good conscience allow the United States to continue sending weapons to Lebanon," Berman said.

Cantor earlier warned that the lines between the Shiite movement and Lebanon's armed forces had become "blurred."

"The days of ignoring the LAF's provocations against Israel and protection of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon are over," said Cantor, the number two Republican in the House of Representatives.

"Lebanon cannot have it both ways. If it wants to align itself with Hezbollah against the forces of democracy, stability and moderation, there will be consequences," said Cantor, a fierce defender of Israel.

The news sparked criticism from an aide to the Lebanese president, who said the money was needed to underpin the country's sovereignty.

Nazem Khoury, an advisor to President Michel Suleiman, said "it is in the interest of those who claim to defend Lebanon's sovereignty that Lebanon have a strong army.

"The United States says it supports that sovereignty, but these statements should also be translated into acts," he added.

But U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said U.S. President Barack Obama was not planning to re-evaluate its military cooperation with Lebanon.

"It allows the government of Lebanon to expand its sovereignty. We think that is in the interest of both of our countries and regional stability as a whole," he said on Monday.

The Lebanese army is seen as woefully underequipped compared to Hezbollah, which is believed to have been rearming since the 2006 war with Israel. The military lost 170 troops when battling an al Qaeda-inspired Islamist group holed up in a Palestinian refugee camp in 2007.

Lebanon cannot have it both ways. If it wants to align itself with Hezbollah against the forces of democracy, stability and moderation, there will be consequences

House Republican Eric Cantor

Preserving army neutrality

The United States has provided more than $720 million in assistance to the Lebanese army since 2006.

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said it was a mistake to arm Lebanon's military with advanced weapons because they were being used by the army against the Jewish state.

Crowley said he was not aware that any U.S. equipment was used during the incident.

The fact that Lebanon's national unity government includes politicians allied to the United States, France and Saudi Arabia as well ministers from Hezbollah, supported by Iran and Syria means, theoretically at least, the army could get support from both sides.

Lebanese President Michel Suleiman announced on Saturday a plan to build up the armed forces "regardless of the position of some countries", in apparent reference to Israel's complaints.

A statement from Suleiman's office said he had received numerous phone calls "from Lebanon and Lebanon's friends ... who expressed the desire to contribute to arming the military."

Israel said a Lebanese army sniper opened fire last week on two Israeli officers as they watched a tree-pruning operation on the Israeli side of a security fence below the U.N. "Blue Line".

The Lebanese army said it first fired warning shots, then Israelis fired at their soldiers. Israeli artillery and tank fire followed.

Hezbollah did not take part in last week's clash, although Nasrallah has said his powerful Shiite guerrillas would intervene if Israel attacked the army again.

The United States says it supports that sovereignty, but these statements should also be translated into acts

Lebanese presidental advisor Nazem Khoury