US to pledge 770 million dollar in aid for Lebanon

PARIS, Jan 24 (Reuters) The United States will pledge nearly 770 million dollar in aid to help rebuild Lebanon and bolster its embattled Prime Minister Fouad Siniora in his power struggle with Hezbollah, U S officials said today.

The money, which requires U S congressional approval, will fund budget support, military equipment and projects to help rebuild Lebanese infrastructure shattered in last year's war between Israel and Syrian- and Iranian-backed Hezbollah.

''The president will request of the Congress 770 million dollar in support for Lebanon,'' U S Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told reporters as she flew to Paris for an international aid donors' meeting tomorrow that could yield billions of dollars for Lebanon.

The United States hopes the money, which comes on top of 230 million dollar Washington pledged last year, will strengthen Siniora, a Sunni Muslim. Hezbollah, a Shi'ite Muslim party, is seeking to oust his Western-backed government.

Yesterday, protestors bent on toppling Siniora's cabinet blocked highways and roads in Lebanon with burning tires and sparked clashes that killed three people and injured 133.

''Yesterday's events, if anything, make more important a message from the international community that it supports the democratically elected government of Lebanon and that there should not be violence or efforts at intimidation to try and make governing more difficult for the prime minister,'' Rice told reporters travelling with her.

''It was an effort to provoke. It was an effort to intimidate,'' she said of the protests, which she called ''irresponsible.'' ''Prime Minister Siniora is on his way to Paris and I think it shows that his government is not intimidated,'' she added.

Asked if Hezbollah had the power to topple Siniora, she said: ''I assume that they would not want to plunge Lebanon into open conflict and to kill lots of innocent Lebanese to pursue their political goals.'' Heavily burdened by debt and struggling to rebuild infrastructure destroyed by last summer's 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah, the Siniora government badly needs international aid.

According to a senior U S official who spoke on condition of anonymity, the U S funds will include 250 million dollar in cash transfers to the Lebanese government that will be tied to economic reforms.

While the conditions have yet to be worked out, they could include raising taxes, reducing subsidies and taking steps to strengthen governance, he said.

A further 220 million dollar will help the Lebanese military, possibly by funding such items as small arms ammunition, vehicles, spare parts and training, he said.

The United States will also give 184 million dollar to support the international peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, 60 million dollar to train and equip security forces, 50 million dollar to fund reconstruction-related projects and 5.5 million dollar for de-mining, the U S official said.

Rice said she believed Lebanon would carry out economic reforms despite its failure to do so in the past and the Siniora government's political weakness.

''It's not going to going to be easy but I think this is also a government that has demonstrated its mettle, it's demonstrated that it can be very resolute and very tough,'' she said. ''It demonstrated that during the war.'' Rice plans to meet on Thursday with executives from prominent U S companies including Intel Corp, Cisco Systems and Occidental Petroleum who plan to announce an effort to create 3,000 jobs in Lebanon over the next several years, said another U S official who asked not to be named.

She then visits Brussels on Friday for a NATO meeting where she is likely to urge allies to do more militarily and economically for Afghanistan, which is facing a renewed Taliban insurgency.

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