Committee News

Thursday, September 16, 2010

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Ros-Lehtinen Meets with Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Discusses Concerns over U.S. Assistance to Lebanon, Saudi Arabia

(WASHINGTON) – U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, met yesterday with Daniel Ayalon, Israel’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. Statement by Ros-Lehtinen:

“I was pleased to meet yesterday with Minister Ayalon to discuss the peace process and concerns over U.S. security assistance to Lebanon and arms sales to Saudi Arabia.

“I am deeply concerned that U.S. assistance to the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) may be finding its way into the hands of violent militants, including Hezbollah, which murder innocent Israelis.

“In recent years, the Lebanese Government and the LAF have failed to confront Hezbollah, which has massively rearmed. Meanwhile, the growing influence of the Iran-Syria-Hezbollah axis is increasingly undermining Lebanon’s sovereignty. The U.S. must not continue to send security assistance to Lebanon when we cannot be sure that it is not benefiting these dangerous extremists and their state sponsors.

“I am also concerned about the proposal to send $60 billion in sensitive U.S. military technology and know-how to Saudi Arabia.

“Congress needs to be convinced that robust safeguards are in place to ensure that this sensitive technology does not fall into the wrong hands and thereby endanger the U.S. or our ally Israel.

“Serious questions also remain over how selling $60 billion in arms to the Saudis fits into any overarching strategy that should be in place to advance U.S. security interests in the region.”

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