It is starting to look like a shakedown of U.S. taxpayers. Ten months after the ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanon, the central government in Lebanon is lollygagging to shake Washington’s money tree.
The timing of this ploy could not be worse. Hezbollah is decapitated, partially defanged and de-beepered. Instead of consolidating gains earned through Israeli blood and treasure, however, Lebanon is wasting time.
Inked on Nov. 26, 2024, the ceasefire deal paused the war that Hezbollah started on Oct. 7, 2023. That war killed 47 Israeli civilians and 82 soldiers.
Hezbollah and Lebanon have now both breached the material terms of the deal.
Hezbollah’s violation came first. Its secretary-general, Naim Qassem, agreed to disarm, starting south of the Litani River (ceasefire, section 5). There were early reports of cooperation, even voluntary weapons turnovers. Then Hezbollah began to sound like Hezbollah again. “We will not abandon the weapons that honor us, nor the weapons that protect us from our enemy,” Qassem said last week.
When it isn’t launching rockets and blowing up buses, Hezbollah practices politics. There will be a Lebanese parliamentary election coming in May 2026, and traditionally, Hezbollah has used its weapons to intimidate voters. It is currently underperforming in polls.
With Hezbollah now 10 months into a material breach, the onus shifts to the Lebanese central government and its Lebanese Armed Forces. Its main ceasefire agreement responsibility is simple: Start acting like a real country.
Lebanon is required in stage one to take control of the area south of the Litani River, confiscate or destroy all weapons, restore the rule of law and reassert its monopoly on the use of force (ceasefire, section 7).
Unfortunately, despite Hezbollah’s weakness, the country seems to have little appetite for actually governing itself. It does not appear willing to confront Hezbollah. Its hollow and token disarmament efforts make it the second party to breach the ceasefire.
Enter the final set of players in the deal: the United States and France. Under the ceasefire agreement, they are required to step up when the main parties do not. American guarantees require it to aid the LAF “logistically and financially,” to help Israel and Lebanon track violations by Hezbollah and help increase the LAF to a 10,000-man force in Southern Lebanon.
While everyone else in the deal is nonperforming, underperforming or blaming Israel, the United States is outperforming.
CENTCOM deployed technical teams to help LAF with everything from tactics to the demolition of terrorist weapons stockpiles. Maj. Gen. Jasper Jeffers, and now, Maj. Gen. Michael Leeney have been on site in Lebanon, along with a French counterpart.
As to funding, in January 2025, the Biden administration redirected $102.5 million in military aid, primarily from Egypt, to Lebanon. On Jan. 18, the Trump administration pledged $117 million. The United States also delivered $50 million in military aid, including Humvees, Howitzers and grenade launchers. The United States is also sponsoring training programs, coordinated through CENTCOM. These focus on counterterrorism and border security.
Unfortunately, none of this has bought the United States much reciprocity. LAF remains understaffed and undermotivated. It is not behaving like an energized military force determined to reunify its country after 43 years of hell.
Is LAF a military force to which the United States has sent $3 billion since 2006? Or is it an intramural hiking club? It is easy to get confused.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Special Middle East Envoy Tom Barrack have therefore been applying pressure. They know that LAF must mop up the south before the historic opportunity fades.
On Sept. 9, Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi, who coordinates with Barrack and Rubio’s team, showed some can-do spirit for the first time. After consulting with LAF Commander Rodolphe Haykal, Raggi announced that stage one could be completed in three months.
“Youssef, hush up!” cried the unanimous chorus from Lebanon’s cabinet.
Contradicting his foreign minister, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said three months is out of the question. So is January. So is forever. When can they do it? Once Lebanon obtains “greater U.S. support in terms of equipment, manpower and financial allocations,” said Salam.
Oh, the old Yankee gravy train. The faithful and fruitful U.S. taxpayer. The most taken advantage of, taken for granted and abused man on Earth.
Yet this is not your father’s U.S. State Department. Rubio, please turn this attempted shakedown into a shake-up.
There should be no more funding without results. Freeze funding until LAF finishes stage one. There are also other things the United States should do.
- Impose sanctions. Start with the five Shia ministers and the Lebanese Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri. They are all longtime Hezbollah terror supporters. They are working against disarmament. These traitorous fifth columnists met last month with Ali Larijani, Iran’s security chief, who flew to Beirut to foment chaos.
- The United States should also demand that LAF complete its work purging Hezbollah terrorists from its ranks. Arrest them. Try them. If found guilty, Lebanon has a death penalty. U.S. intelligence agencies can help (with the research, that is).
- In the meantime, LAF can continue to form new units staffed only with highly trusted and vetted soldiers. The United States can also help Lebanon hire trusted contractors to handle sensitive anti-terror operations.
There are those in Lebanon and around the world who fear that strict compliance with the ceasefire will bring more bloodshed and retaliation from Hezbollah. Just imagine the bloodletting if another generation is doomed to a life of war, strife and terror.
