President Bush Pledges $230 Million in U.S. Aid to Lebanon

By Stephen Kaufman
White House Correspondent
August 21, 2006

Washington -- President Bush pledges the United States will increase its humanitarian and reconstruction aid to Lebanon to $230 million to help the country recover after weeks of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

Speaking at the White House August 21, Bush said the funds would help the Lebanese people return to their communities and rebuild their homes, restore infrastructure such as bridges and roads and rehabilitate schools in time for the beginning of the fall school year.

“Our nation is wasting no time in helping the people of Lebanon,” he said.  “America is making a long-term commitment to help the people of Lebanon because we believe every person … deserves to live in a free, open society that respects the rights of all.”

More than half of the $50 million in U.S. aid committed since the outbreak of Israel-Hezbollah hostilities has been distributed to the Lebanese people, Bush said, adding that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has “led the diplomatic efforts” to establish humanitarian corridors, reopen Beirut's airport, and ensure a steady fuel supply to the country's power plants and automobiles for the facilitation of relief convoys and the transport of humanitarian aid.

The president also said 25,000 tons of U.S. wheat will be delivered to Lebanon in the coming weeks, and an oil spill response team is being sent to help the Lebanese government clean up an oil slick that is endangering communities along the Lebanese coast.

Other proposed U.S. assistance includes a $42 million package to help train and equip Lebanon's armed forces, and an upcoming presidential delegation of private-sector leaders that will visit the country to identify ways in which American businesses and nonprofit organizations can help. (See related fact sheet .)

The funds will be drawn from existing State Department resources, according to U.S. government sources.

For Israel, whose infrastructure was damaged by Hezbollah rocket attacks, the president said he would work with the U.S. Congress to extend the availability of loan guarantees to provide funds for rebuilding.

President Bush also urged the rapid deployment of an international force, as called for by U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, which he said is “essential to peace in the region” and to Lebanese freedom. He said the international force is needed to maintain the cease-fire and prevent Hezbollah from re-establishing itself as “a state within a state.” 

“The need is urgent. The international community must now designate the leadership of this new international force, give it robust rules of engagement and deploy it as quickly as possible to secure the peace,” Bush said.

The United States, although not contributing troops to the 15,000-member force, will help with “logistic support, command and control, communications and intelligence.”  Bush also said his administration will work with the force's leadership after it is established to ensure United States is doing all it can “to make this mission a success.”

He added that the United States is working with its international partners to organize and deploy the force. Citing France's understanding of regional issues and historical ties with Lebanon, Bush said he hopes France will contribute more troops.