U.S. AID TO LEBANON GOING TO HEZBOLLAH?

U.S. Aid to Hezbollah? (Wash. Times)
While there is much to be said for the concept of U.S. assistance to rebuild war-torn Lebanon, U.S. efforts to do so are bumping up against an unpleasant reality: It is extremely difficult to ensure that U.S. and international assistance is not used to strengthen Hezbollah. President Bush has proposed a $230 million aid package for Lebanon. On Thursday, Randall Tobias, administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, speaking at a Lebanon donors' conference in Stockholm, outlined a number of specific projects that Washington planned to fund, including bridge reconstruction, school repairs and hiring local workers to fix damaged homes. Unfortunately, the administration has failed to address the danger that U.S. assistance to Lebanon is likely to be diverted for Hezbollah's benefit.

Debbie Schussel also persuasively argues that the $230 million for rebuilding South Lebanon offered by the U.S. will be funnelled to Hezbollah because of the lack of accountability on the funds for the Hezbollah-controlled area.