Lebanon asks Iran to supply its army with midsize weapons
By DPA Last update - 18:30 26/11/2008
www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1041279.html

Lebanese President Michel Suleiman recently asked Iran for medium-sized
weapons for Lebanon's army, in a move aimed at shifting Iran's assistance
from the country's militant Hezbollah movement to the state, a Lebanese
government official said Wednesday.

The official, who requested anonymity, said Suleiman had emphasized during a
two-day visit to Tehran earlier this week that he was not seeking long-range
missiles or jet fighters, but rather modern medium arms that would help the
Lebanese army combat terrorism and maintain national security.

The source told Deutsche Presse-Agentur that Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad had assured his Lebanese counterpart that Iran would be ready to
assist Lebanon in this regard.

"The Iranians vowed to support Lebanon in all key dossiers, particularly the
national dialogue among the rival factions," the source said.

Iran is a staunch supporter of the militant Shiite Hezbollah movement, which
is also backed by Syria. Tehran is believed to be Hezbollah's main