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Saudi Arabia 'to give Lebanon army $3bn grant' | Saudi Arabia 'to give Lebanon army $3bn grant' |
(about 11 hours later) | |
Saudi Arabia is to give Lebanon's army a grant of $3bn (£1.8bn, 2.8bn euros). | Saudi Arabia is to give Lebanon's army a grant of $3bn (£1.8bn, 2.8bn euros). |
Lebanese President Michel Suleiman made the announcement in a televised address after the funeral of a senior Lebanese politician killed in a car bomb attack. He said it would help fight terrorism. | |
Mohamad Chatah, a Sunni Muslim, was a staunch critic of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Lebanon's Shia Hezbollah movement that backs him. | Mohamad Chatah, a Sunni Muslim, was a staunch critic of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Lebanon's Shia Hezbollah movement that backs him. |
Saudi Arabia and Hezbollah have taken opposite sides in the Syrian conflict. | Saudi Arabia and Hezbollah have taken opposite sides in the Syrian conflict. |
Coming to the boil | Coming to the boil |
"The king of the brotherly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is offering this generous and appreciated aid of $3bn to the Lebanese army to strengthen its capabilities," Mr Sleiman said in his address. | "The king of the brotherly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is offering this generous and appreciated aid of $3bn to the Lebanese army to strengthen its capabilities," Mr Sleiman said in his address. |
He said it was the largest assistance provided in Lebanon's history and would be used to buy weapons from France. | He said it was the largest assistance provided in Lebanon's history and would be used to buy weapons from France. |
French President Francois Hollande said his country would "meet" any demands for weapons from Lebanon during a visit on Sunday to Saudi Arabia aimed at boosting commercial ties with the kingdom. | French President Francois Hollande said his country would "meet" any demands for weapons from Lebanon during a visit on Sunday to Saudi Arabia aimed at boosting commercial ties with the kingdom. |
"I am in touch with President Suleiman... If demands are made to us, we will meet them," he said. | |
President Suleiman said the Saudi aid would finally allow the Lebanese army to "confront terrorism" and put an end to the proliferation of arms. | |
The BBC's Arab Affairs Editor Sebastian Usher said the president indirectly touched on a dangerous taboo in Lebanon - the unchecked power of the Shia movement, Hezbollah. | The BBC's Arab Affairs Editor Sebastian Usher said the president indirectly touched on a dangerous taboo in Lebanon - the unchecked power of the Shia movement, Hezbollah. |
That issue is coming to the boil due to the conflict in neighbouring Syria where Hezbollah is fighting on the side of President Assad, our correspondent says. | That issue is coming to the boil due to the conflict in neighbouring Syria where Hezbollah is fighting on the side of President Assad, our correspondent says. |
Heinous crime | Heinous crime |
The Saudis back the other side - the mostly Sunni rebels. The kingdom also supports the pro-western March 14 alliance in Lebanon, of which Mohamad Chatah was a leading member. | The Saudis back the other side - the mostly Sunni rebels. The kingdom also supports the pro-western March 14 alliance in Lebanon, of which Mohamad Chatah was a leading member. |
Lebanon has been hit by a wave of attacks linked to heightened Sunni-Shia tensions over the Syrian war. | Lebanon has been hit by a wave of attacks linked to heightened Sunni-Shia tensions over the Syrian war. |
Mr Chatah was buried on Saturday amid tight security. | Mr Chatah was buried on Saturday amid tight security. |
The former Lebanese minister and opposition figure was killed by a car bomb on Friday, which also killed six other people and injured at least 50. | The former Lebanese minister and opposition figure was killed by a car bomb on Friday, which also killed six other people and injured at least 50. |
No-one has claimed responsibility for the bombing, but Mr Hariri implicitly accused Hezbollah of carrying it out. | No-one has claimed responsibility for the bombing, but Mr Hariri implicitly accused Hezbollah of carrying it out. |
Hezbollah rejected the accusation, calling the bombing a "heinous crime, which comes in the context of a series of crimes and explosions aimed at sabotaging the country". | Hezbollah rejected the accusation, calling the bombing a "heinous crime, which comes in the context of a series of crimes and explosions aimed at sabotaging the country". |
Syria also denied any involvement in the attack. | Syria also denied any involvement in the attack. |