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Lebanon aid pledges top $940m
 International donors have pledged more than $940 million for the reconstruction of Lebanon, nearly double the amount originally sought. Fuad Siniora, the Lebanese prime minister, expressed his "great appreciation" to the donor countries meeting in Stockholm, Sweden. He added that the conference had been successful "not just in terms of show of support of solidarity... but also in the pledges that have been made that show the Lebanese people are not alone". In a report to the conference earlier on Thursday, the Lebanese government had said at least $540 million was needed to help the country recover from the month-long fighting between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas. Jan Eliasson, the Swedish foreign minister, dismissed suggestions that the aid money would trickle down to Hezbollah, the Shia militia group, and strengthen its position in southern Lebanon. "I don't accept that argument," Eliasson said before the meeting. "This conference aims at strengthening the central government of Lebanon and in that government Hezbollah is only a minor part." Posted by: Fred 2006-09-01 |
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