US froze arms shipments to Lebanon, but kept it 'hush-hush'...

"The U.S. has quietly frozen weapon shipments to Lebanon's armed forces following the collapse of the country's pro-Western government in January, underlining growing concerns about Hezbollah's role there. The suspension, part of a broader review of U.S. security assistance to Lebanon, offers a cautionary tale about the uncertain course of secular revolts sweeping the Middle East, and Washington's limited ability to influence them.... The arms freeze was recently approved by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, but the decision hasn't been publicly announced because of concerns the disclosure could interfere with delicate internal negotiations in Lebanon over a new government's makeup and policies........ early U.S. optimism about the prospect for change "fizzled out," one senior U.S. official said, and Hezbollah has steadily expanded its reach in the country and beyond, sounding alarm bells in the U.S. and Israel....."