LEBANON: BRAVO ZULU FOR U.S. MILITARY ASSISTANCE

UNCLAS BEIRUT 000861 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/MARCHESE/HARDING SECDEF FOR DIRECTOR, DEFENSE SECURITY COOPERATION AGENCY/COMMANDER, US SECURITY ASSISTANCE COMMAND E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MASS MOPS PTER PREL LE SY SUBJECT: LEBANON: BRAVO ZULU FOR U.S. MILITARY ASSISTANCE EFFORT ¶1. Speed, professionalism, effectiveness: those qualities exemplified the extraordinary effort put forth by our EUCOM, CENTCOM and TRANSCOM military brethren and our State and DOD civilian colleagues in providing urgently needed military assistance to Lebanon's fledgling armed forces in their time of dire need. On behalf of the entire U.S. Embassy team in Beirut, I want to extend my thanks for the incredibly quick and effective work undertaken by our military and civilian colleagues who are involved in the rapid responsiveness to the Lebanese Armed Forces' needs. ¶2. On May 20, well-armed Sunni fundamentalist extremists launched a violent attack against Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) that were stationed outside the Nahr al-Barid refugee camp in northern Lebanon. The already over-stretched Lebanese army troops were poorly equipped to confront this serious threat to Lebanon's stability and sovereignty. Following urgent consultations between U.S. Embassy Beirut and the Government of Lebanon, a list of critically-needed equipment was drawn up and forwarded to Washington. ¶3. Displaying unprecedented speed of response, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, in concert with applicable components of the European Command and Central Command, organized and executed an airlift of 22 C-17 flights which, in a matter of days, delivered desperately needed munitions and associated equipment to LAF troops engaged in fierce hostilities against a determined and well-supplied foe. With the LAF now facing some of the most critical battles, these efforts are continuing. In the execution of this operation, the U.S. Transportation Command also performed brilliantly and deserves special recognition. Our colleagues at the State Department also played critical, essential roles in facilitating these shipments. Bravo to all of you. ¶4. Although the extremely important battle at Nahr al-Barid still hangs in the balance, we have already received numerous statements of appreciation and admiration from both the Lebanese Armed Forces and the political leadership of Lebanon for the U.S. military assistance over the past three weeks. Accordingly, when the history of these critical days is written, justice will be served only if proper acknowledgment is given to the men and women of the U.S. military and to the civilian employees of State and DOD who participated in this pivotal and superbly-executed supply effort. ¶5. I am both deeply impressed and deeply grateful. The LAF is engaged in a battle that it cannot afford to lose, and our assistance can help tip the balance in the LAF's favor. Please accept our most sincere thanks for a job well done! FELTMAN