Washington Probing if Hizbullah Used U.S.-Made Tanks in Qusayr Parade

The United States has announced that it has launched a probe to determine whether Hizbullah used U.S.-made tanks or armored vehicles in the “military parade” that it recently held in the Syrian border region of Qusayr.

“I saw the social media report’s very grainy photographs... We’re working with our interagency counterparts to find out more information and get some clarity on it,” U.S. State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau said in response to a question during the daily press briefing.

Asked whether it would be a violation of U.S. law “if it turns out that these were tanks that were sold to the Lebanese armed forces and then ended up in Hizbullah’s hands,” Trudeau said: “Hizbullah is a foreign terrorist organization, clearly.”

“Obviously, we would be gravely concerned if equipment ended up in the hands of Hizbullah,” she added.

Asked “how urgently” U.S. authorities were looking into the matter, Trudeau said: “Very much.”

Later on Tuesday, the Lebanese army issued a statement clarifying that the vehicles “were not taken from the Lebanese army's arsenal.”

Pictures distributed on social networking websites showed hundreds of Hizbullah fighters taking part in the military parade alongside dozens of tanks, armored vehicles, howitzers and heavy-caliber machineguns.

Pro-Hizbullah media outlets said the parade was held on November 11 to mark “Hizbullah's Martyr Day”.