WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is withholding more than $100 million in U.S. military assistance to Lebanon that has been approved by Congress and is favored by his national security team.
It's an assertion of control of foreign aid similar to the delay in support for Ukraine that is at the center of the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. State Department and Pentagon officials and lawmakers have been complaining about it for weeks, according to officials.
The $105 million in Foreign Military Funding for the Lebanese Armed Forces has languished for months, awaiting approval from the Office of Management and Budget. This is despite the congressional approval, an early September notification to lawmakers that it would be spent and overwhelming support for it from the Pentagon, State Department and National Security Council.