BEIRUT – Vice President Joe Biden reinforced U.S. support for Lebanon's government Friday ahead of key parliamentary elections that could see the pro-Western faction ousted by Iranian-backed Hezbollah and its allies.
Hezbollah has accused Washington of trying to influence the June 7 election in favor of the pro-Western faction that dominates the government. The militant group said Friday that the visit by Biden and an earlier one by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton raised "strong suspicion and amounted to a clear and detailed interference in Lebanon's affairs."
Biden is the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit Lebanon in more than 25 years and the second from the Obama administration in about a month, following Clinton's trip. The attention underscores Washington's concerns about a possible win by Hezbollah, which the U.S. considers a terrorist group.
The White House said Biden's visit was meant "to reinforce the United States' support for an independent and sovereign Lebanon."
With the election about two weeks away, this deeply divided nation is in the throes of an increasingly abrasive election campaign that has split voters into two main camps. A pro-Western camp made up mainly of Sunnis favors close ties to America, France and moderate Sunni Arab countries while the other faction is dominated by Shiites and backed by U.S. foes Iran and Syria.
Hezbollah, which is highly critical of U.S. Mideast policy and has a strong anti-Israeli agenda, is looking to strengthen its political hold beyond the veto power it currently has in the government. The Shiite group has only 14 seats in the 128-seat parliament, but got the veto power after a show of force a year ago when its gunmen overran Sunni neighborhoods in Beirut.
The coalition dominated by the heavily armed group stands a good chance of winning, which could increase the influence of its sponsors Iran and Syria in the region. Israel and U.S. Arab allies such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt are concerned about the growing influence of Iran in the Middle East, especially through the militant groups Tehran backs such as Hezbollah and Hamas in Gaza.
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