The State Department announced Wednesday US assistance could start reaching Lebanon by next week. The delivery had been put into question after a high-ranking Congressmember announced this week he would ask the Bush administration to freeze its aid package to Lebanon. The Congressmember, California Democrat Tom Lantos, said the freeze would last until the Lebanese government takes control of its borders and: “displays responsibility.” At a press conference in the United Arab Emirates, US Ambassador Michele Sison was asked how the US could reconcile sending aid to Lebanon after giving Israel most of the weaponry that attacked the country.

• US Ambassador to UAE Michele Sison: “I want to make very clear that of course America is making and has made a long term commitment to help the people of Lebanon. We believe that every person deserves to live in a free and open society and of course we have stated throughout, particularly during the the period of the crisis that we reject the killing of innocents to achieve a radical agenda and I am looking at Hizbollah as I speak to this.”