Saudi gives Lebanon army $1 bn: ex-PM Saad Hariri

Saudi Arabia has provided Lebanon's army, battling jihadists on the Syrian border, with one billion dollars to strengthen security, former Lebanese premier Saad Hariri said on Wednesday. ‘King Abdullah has informed me of his generous decision to provide the Lebanese army... with one billion dollars to strengthen its capabilities to preserve Lebanon's security,’ Hariri told reporters in Jeddah. Speaking from King Abdullah's palace in the Saudi Red Sea city of Jeddah, Lebanon's Sunni community's most prominent political representative added that ‘we have received this aid.’ ‘This aid is very important especially at this time when Lebanon is fighting terrorism,’ said Hariri at the overnight conference. Lebanese troops have been clashing with militants since Saturday in the country's eastern town of Arsal. Sunni-dominated regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia is already financing a $3-billion package of French military equipment and arms for Lebanon's army. Lebanon's army Chief General Jean Kahwaji on Tuesday urged France to speed up the promised weapons supplies to help his troops. Saudi King Abdullah has expressed his oil-rich state's support for Beirut against ‘terrorism’ during a phone call with former Lebanese president Michel Sleiman, according to AFP.