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Lebanese President Joseph Aoun urges US President Donald Trump during their Oval Office meeting to continue supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces, which are tasked with helping disarm Hezbollah.
Aoun tells reporters he has told Trump during recent phone calls that he needs two things from him, “political support and support for the LAF.”
He asserts that the LAF is the most trusted institution in Lebanon.
“We need to support the LAF. The LAF [keeps] the country safe and stable. Without the LAF, everything will collapse. We don’t want that. I think President Trump doesn’t want that,” Aoun says, recalling that the LAF’s collapse in 1975 led to the emergence of militia groups, a civil war and the Palestinian takeover of the country’s south, which was used to launch attacks on Israel.
“We don’t want to see that (happen) again. All we’re asking is keep supporting the LAF. They know that the LAF is doing a great job performing its duty to the fullest. I fully trust the LAF. I fully trust the leadership of the LAF,” Aoun says, amid reports of US frustration with the LAF’s performance.
Chiming in, Trump changes the subject slightly by again touting Aoun for signing last month’s framework deal with Israel for an eventual peace treaty between their countries.
Trump is asked if he is still interested in advancing his widely-opposed idea of tasking Syria’s new government with entering Lebanon to fight Hezbollah.
Trump appears to tacitly recognize the pushback to the idea by not insisting that it be advanced. “It’s a concept,” he says, but insists that it could be effective.
Asked what concrete deliverables Aoun will be to bring back to Lebanon from today’s meeting, Trump responds, “You’ll find out.”
The post Aoun urges Trump to keep supporting Lebanese army, which is meant to disarm Hezbollah appeared first on The Times of Israel.
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