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Lebanon sets up a fund to finance army
10:30 AM
Lebanon is planning to set up a fund to help its army, days after American lawmakers blocked U.S. military aid of $100 million. Defense Minister Elias al-Murr said the fund hoped to collect donations from the millions of Lebanese living abroad as well as local residents. Murr was making the first contribution, of 1.0 billion Lebanese pounds ($670,000). Washington blocked military aid to Beirut over concerns that the army was cooperating closely with Hezbollah. The decision came after a deadly cross-border conflict between Lebanese and Israeli troops last week. Alarabiya.net.