BEIRUT, May 28 (Xinhua) -- The Commander of United States Air Force Central Command Joseph Guastella reaffirmed Tuesday the U.S. government's commitment to strengthening the Lebanese-American partnership, a statement by the U.S. embassy in Lebanon said.
"We also want to reaffirm our support for the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) in their capacity as the sole, legitimate defender of Lebanon," Guastella said during his meeting with Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces Joseph Aoun, as well as key leaders in the LAF air force, while visiting Hamat Air Base and Beirut Air Base.
Joseph Aoun visited the United States earlier this month where he met with a committee within U.S. Defense Department in charge of aid to the Lebanese army.
The Lebanese delegation discussed how the army uses American arms and equipment in its missions, both on the border and inside Lebanon.
The Lebanese army has received a total of 1.5 billion U.S. dollars in military aid from successive U.S. administrations since the war with Israel in 2006.
