The US plans new military presence in Lebanon
including big air installation close by Syrian border

October 9, 2007, 9:42 PM (GMT+02:00)

http://debka.com/pictures/Lebanon_Syria.jpg.

The air base, according to DEBKAfile's military sources, will be
located at Kleiat in northern Lebanon roughly 75 air miles from
Damascus, which these days doubles as a shared Syrian-Iranian military
hub and Tehran's eastern Mediterranean forward base. The American air
installation will also lie 22 air miles from Tartous, Syria's main
naval base and the Russian Mediterranean fleet's command center. And
the aircraft posted there will be minutes away from the joint Syrian-
Iranian arms and missiles industries at Homs and Hamma.

DEBKAfile's source report the Bush administration's drastic change of
policy on Lebanon was settled in consultations at the Pentagon and
National Security Council after the talks the chief of the US Central
Command Adm. William Fallon held with Lebanese government heads on
July 29.

This new direction was confirmed after the Israeli air raid over Syria
of Sept. 6.

It brings the American military back to Lebanon after a 25-year
absence. In 1983, President Ronald Reagan pulled US troops out of the
country after Syrian military intelligence orchestrated terrorist
bombing attacks on the US embassy and Marines headquarters in Beirut,
which left more than 300 soldiers, diplomats and CIA agents dead.

The first stage of construction will reactivate the small defunct air
base at Kleiat as a joint US-Lebanese venture. Prime minister Fouad
Siniora will explain that the four months of bloody fighting to crush
the Fatah al-Islam revolt in the northern Nahar al-Bared camp
demonstrated how badly the Lebanese army needs an operational air base
in the region. US Air Force engineers and technicians have begun work
on the new air field. At a later stage, it will be expanded for
American military use.

http://debka.com/headline.php?hid=4659