Lt. Gen. Joseph Clearfield, Commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Central Command and chairman of the Cessation of Hostilities Supervisory Committee, speaks during a bilateral engagement with senior Lebanese Armed Forces leaders at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, January 29, 2026. The engagement focused on sustained military to military dialogue, coordination, and structured engagement in support of the Cessation of Hostilities framework, commonly referred to as the Mechanism. Photo By Ruben Cordero |
TAMPA, Fla.- U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Central Command (MARCENT) hosted a bi-lateral security summit attended by senior leaders from the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla., Jan. 29-30. LAF leaders briefed U.S. military leadership on regional security matters,including operational updates and progress toward the army’s disarmament plan.
The security summit also supported ongoing dialogue associated with the Cessation of Hostilities Supervisory Committee, commonly referred to as the Mechanism.
Established in November 2024, the Mechanism is a multinational supervisory committee responsible for monitoring, verifying, and providing direct deconfliction between the Lebanese Armed Forces and the Israel Defense Forces.
Lt. Gen. Joseph Clearfield, MARCENT commander and chairman of the Mechanism, led discussions focused on military cooperation and the importance of the Mechanism.
“As MARCENT continues to play a central role in the Mechanism, these discussions with our partners will remain a critical part of our efforts,” said Clearfield. “We are committed to durable peace and stability in the region.”
Leban Army Chief heads to Washington
Lebanon’s army chief, General Rodolphe Haykal, is scheduled to be in Washington, D.C., on February 3, 2026 to discuss, among other issues, efforts regarding Hezbollah’s disarmament and to shore up support for the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF)
. This visit follows a previously canceled trip in November 2025 due to US frustration over the slow progress in disarmament
