In his latest embarrassing public blunder, President Donald Trump says Lebanon is 'on the front lines' fighting Shiite group Hezbolllah, despite them being a very legitimate part of the Lebanese government - oops!
Carelessly lumping the name Hezbollah along with the likes of al-Qaeda and IS in a list of terorr groups Lebanon is at war with, Trump failed to acknowledge that Hezbollah is currently fighting against IS in Syria on behalf of the Assad regime, but most definitely not at war with Lebanon where the group holds legitimate political power.
“Lebanon is on the front lines in the fight against ISIS, al-Qaeda and Hezbollah. The Lebanese people, of all faiths, are working together to keep — and you know this, and we've been discussing this at great length — their country safe and prosperous.”
The country's president, former general Michel Aoun, is backed by Hezbollah, and even Saudi-backed Harriri himself has a very delicate power-sharing relationship with Shiite Hezbollah.
Hariri is currently on a state visit to Washington to rally support for economic and diplomatic support as Lebanon struggles to cope with more than a million refugees from the Syrian war.
