Key U.S. Lawmaker Urges Aid Cut-Off for Lebanon

A key U.S. lawmaker called Monday for cutting all U.S. aid to Lebanon's new government, in which Hizbullah and its allies hold the majority, and to any Palestinian government in which Hamas is a partner.

"The U.S. should immediately cut off assistance to the Lebanese government as long as any violent extremist group designated by the U.S. as foreign terrorist organizations participates in it," said House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Republican and frequent White House critic.

Ros-Lehtinen warned in a statement that "Hizbullah and its cohorts will control the Lebanese government and likely benefit from the years of U.S. assistance, including to the Lebanese military."

"We cannot undo past mistakes, but we can learn from them and safeguard taxpayer dollars going forward," she said.

It is the first time a coalition led by Hizbullah, which fought a deadly summer war with Israel in 2006 and is blacklisted in Washington as a terrorist organization, has dominated a government in Lebanon.

"The U.S. should likewise stop funding the Palestinian Authority, where Hamas appears to be following in Huzbullah's footsteps," said Ros-Lehtinen.

"It is time for U.S. assistance to truly advance our interests, rather than benefit the likes of Hizbullah, Hamas, and their partners," she said.