Thursday, December 21, 2006

"The package is part of an effort by the United States, France, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and others to shore up the Lebanese security forces so they can eventually extend their control over the entire country for the first time since civil war erupted there in 1975. It is also designed to strengthen the government's hand over the influence of Hezbollah, Lebanon's last militia and a force often better-equipped than the country's army, the sources said."