Thread by @ejmalrai

#Lebanon "for the 1st time can control its borders"? @MlongdenUK must have landed in Lebanon very fresh w/o doing him homework. Lebanon needs medicine & electricity not 100 armed vehicles to a 50.000 @LebarmyOfficial who spend wild of the country's budget

https://twitter.com/MlongdenUK/status/1356217219777089538

The west, mainly #US and #UK, supply the Lebanese Army with light and medium calibre weapons and transport vehicles in the hope that one day the army would stand against #Hezbollah. Most Lebanese believe the Army is "sacred" and can't be criticised and its leader is an almighty.

Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent monthly in #Lebanon on over 125,000 members of the security forces when the number of inhabitants is around 5-6 million. This large number has mostly a prestigious role, ease connections & services & employ people to satisfy politicians

#US offer weapons & training for Lebanese officers abroad, impose a condition on the Lebanese government to have the strategic weapon depot in the Christian area of the country. The excuse would be a fear of #Hezbollah that has quality & quantity #Lebanon is not allowed to have.

#US delivered once 6 Hellfire missiles to the Lebanese Army but held the decision to fire these missiles on targets that should be previously approved by the Americans. The US once denied the permission to kill Al-Qaeda leader in the Qalamoun, Abu Malik al-Talli while in #Lebanon

#Lebanon is not allowed to turn to #Russia and #China. A recent (secret) visit of a Chinese delegation to a powerful group in Lebanon offered all sort of support to the country (everything Lebanon could be in need off). Lebanon refused the offer for fear of further Us sanctions.

#Lebanon needs financial support that can be collected only from oil-rich countries who obey the #US diktat. Russia and China (and Iran) can't cover #Lebanon's needs because corrupted politicians took everything even for generations to come. Still only the Americans can bring $$

This is the argument offered by Lebanese leaders to reject any offer from #Russia or #China and to turn towards the East when the West is under the EU tumb.

So, no government because the new PM is still waiting for #France to get the #US blessing 9which will never come).

#France President @EmmanuelMacron's wishful thinking is the fact that the Americans will allow him to "play" in #Lebanon. It won't happen because the #US wants to control. It is politically naive to think otherwise.

If @Joebiden ME decision-makers convince the President that #Hezbollah represents almost a third of the country and any government is impossible to form without its participation, #Lebanon will have a government. So, Lebanese have to wait for Joe's blessing.