Biden in Lebanon ahead of key elections
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Vice President Joe Biden came to Lebanon on Friday to reinforce U.S. support for the government ahead of key parliamentary elections that could see a pro-Western majority ousted by a coalition led by the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah.
Biden is the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit Lebanon in more than 25 years and the second from the Obama administration in about a month, following in the footsteps of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The attention underscores Washington's concerns about a possible win by Hezbollah, which the U.S. considers a terrorist group.
The White House said Biden's visit was meant "to reinforce the United States' support for an independent and sovereign Lebanon."
With the election about two weeks away, this deeply divided nation is in the throes of an increasingly abrasive election campaign that has split voters into two main camps: a pro-Western one comprising mainly Sunnis who look to America, France and moderate Sunni Arab allies and another largely dominated by Shiites and backed by U.S. foes Iran and Syria.
Hezbollah, which is highly critical of U.S. Mideast policy and has a strong anti-Israeli agenda, is looking to strengthen its political hold beyond the veto power it and allies currently have in the government. The Shiite group has only 14 seats in the 128-seat parliament, but negotiated this power after it displayed force a year ago when its gunmen overran Sunni neighborhoods in Beirut.
The coalition dominated by the heavily armed group stands a good chance of winning, which could increase the influence of its sponsors Iran and Syria in the region.
Biden is the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit Lebanon in more than 25 years and the second from the Obama administration in about a month, following in the footsteps of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The attention underscores Washington's concerns about a possible win by Hezbollah, which the U.S. considers a terrorist group.
The White House said Biden's visit was meant "to reinforce the United States' support for an independent and sovereign Lebanon."
With the election about two weeks away, this deeply divided nation is in the throes of an increasingly abrasive election campaign that has split voters into two main camps: a pro-Western one comprising mainly Sunnis who look to America, France and moderate Sunni Arab allies and another largely dominated by Shiites and backed by U.S. foes Iran and Syria.
Hezbollah, which is highly critical of U.S. Mideast policy and has a strong anti-Israeli agenda, is looking to strengthen its political hold beyond the veto power it and allies currently have in the government. The Shiite group has only 14 seats in the 128-seat parliament, but negotiated this power after it displayed force a year ago when its gunmen overran Sunni neighborhoods in Beirut.
The coalition dominated by the heavily armed group stands a good chance of winning, which could increase the influence of its sponsors Iran and Syria in the region.
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