Naharnet

Top State Department Official Visits Lebanon as Burns Postpones Trip

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Refugees Anne Richard is scheduled on Thursday to discuss with several Lebanese officials U.S. assistance to Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

Richard, who arrived in Beirut on Wednesday night from Jordan, said last week that Syria's neighbors are "tremendously generous ... but we need more countries to donate."

She did not exclude the idea that the United States could take in some of the most vulnerable Syrians as part of the 70,000 refugees from around the world who will find new homes in the country this year.

Richard's visit to Beirut comes as another top State Department official, Deputy Secretary of State William Burns, postponed his trip.

Burns was expected to meet with President Michel Suleiman, Speaker Nabih Berri, Caretaker Premier Najib Miqati, PM-designate Tammam Salam, Progressive Socialist Party chief Walid Jumblat and several March 14 alliance figures on Thursday and Friday.

An Nahar had said that Burns will stress the importance of adopting the policy of dissociation from the Syrian war and the rejection of the involvement of any Lebanese party in the crisis.

He will also reiterate that the U.S. is committed to support the Lebanese Armed Forces in confronting the challenges that they are facing, it said.

The report came as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Martin Dempsey said Wednesday that he has recommended increasing security assistance to Lebanon as the violence in Syria spills across borders.

He said the assistance is aimed at improving Lebanon's military capabilities and could include sending in U.S. training teams and accelerating foreign military sales of weapons and equipment.


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