BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon’s new president and previous military commander Joseph Aoun has maintained a low profile. Those that know him say he’s no-nonsense, sort and averse to affiliating himself with any birthday party and even expressing a political opinion — a rarity for somebody in Lebanon’s fractured, transactional political device. Bilal Saab, a former Pentagon professional who’s now senior managing director of the TRENDS US consulting company, incessantly met Aoun whilst overseeing Washington’s safety cooperation within the Heart East. He known as Aoun a “very candy guy, very compassionate, very hot” who have shyed away from political discussions “just like the plague.”“He in reality used to be viciously nonpartisan, didn’t have any passion in even turning in speeches or doing media,” Saab mentioned. “He sought after to deal with industry, and his simplest order of commercial used to be commanding the Lebanese military.”
That may make Aoun an abnormal are compatible as Lebanon’s president after being elected Thursday — finishing a greater than two-year vacuum within the publish — however Saab mentioned it generally is a boon for the rustic the place incoming leaders most often call for that sure plum positions move to supporters.
“He’s now not going to invite for equities in politics that most often some other president would do,” Saab mentioned.Aoun, 61, is from Aichiye, a Christian village in Jezzine province, southern Lebanon. He joined the military as a cadet in 1983, all the way through Lebanon’s 15-year civil conflict.
George Nader, a retired brigadier normal who served along Aoun, recalled him as retaining cool below fireplace.They fought in combination within the combat of Adma in 1990, a fierce disagreement between the Lebanese military and the Lebanese Forces defense force all the way through the conflict’s ultimate levels. Nader described it as one of the vital hardest battles of his profession.“The extent of bloodshed used to be vital and I take into account Joseph used to be secure and centered,” he mentioned.Aoun commanded the Lebanese military’s ninth infantry brigade earlier than being appointed military leader in March 2017.
All over his tenure as commander, he oversaw the military’s reaction to a sequence of crises, starting with a combat to push out Islamist militants from the Islamic State team and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, who have been then working in jap Lebanon close to the Syrian border. The military fought in coordination with the Hezbollah militant team.HTS in its present iteration led a lightning offensive that toppled Syrian president Bashar Assad remaining month and has develop into the de facto ruling birthday party in Syria.The Lebanese military navigated different demanding situations, together with responding to mass anti-government protests in 2019, the 2020 Beirut port explosion and the 14-month struggle between Israel and Hezbollah that got here to a halt with a ceasefire settlement in November.The Lebanese army in large part stayed at the sidelines within the Israel-Hezbollah conflict, simplest returning fireplace a handful of occasions when Israeli moves hit its positions. Dozens of squaddies have been killed in airstrikes and shellingThe army additionally took a big hit when Lebanon’s foreign money collapsed starting in 2019, lowering the per 30 days wage of a soldier to the similar of not up to $100.
In a unprecedented political commentary, Aoun brazenly criticized the rustic’s management for its loss of motion at the factor in a speech in June 2021.“What are you looking forward to? What do you propose to do? Now we have warned greater than as soon as of the risks of the placement,” he mentioned. The US and Qatar each at one level backed squaddies’ salaries.Ed Gabriel, president of the American Process Power on Lebanon, a nonprofit that targets to construct more potent U.S.-Lebanon ties, mentioned he met Aoun about seven years in the past when he used to be taking on command of the militia and “straight away discovered him to be the most productive of those who we had labored with.”He described Aoun as a “very direct man, very fair” and a pace-setter “who evokes loyalty through his exhausting paintings.” The ones attributes helped Aoun to stop a flood of defections all the way through the industrial disaster, when many squaddies needed to lodge to operating 2nd jobs, Gabriel mentioned.On a non-public stage, Gabriel described Aoun as a humble and deeply spiritual guy. Like every Lebanese presidents and armed forces commanders below Lebanon’s sectarian power-sharing device, Aoun is a Maronite Christian.
Aoun’s deep religion “in reality units the groundwork for … his price device and his morals,” Gabriel mentioned.In Aoun’s place of origin, citizens burst into celebrations after his election, atmosphere off fireworks, dancing within the streets and handing out goodies and glasses of whiskey.“We’re these days residing in very tough occasions, and he’s the proper individual for this difficult length,” mentioned Claire Aoun, amongst the ones celebrating. “Might God information and toughen him, and might he rebuild this complete country for us.”However Aoun’s election used to be now not with out controversy or universally supported, even amongst fellow Christians.One of the vital influential Christian events within the nation, the Loose Patriotic Motion of former President Michel Aoun — no relation to the present president — antagonistic his candidacy. And the Lebanese Forces birthday party gave him their endorsement simplest the night time earlier than the election.
Some have argued that Joseph Aoun’s election violated the legislation. The Lebanese charter bars a sitting military commander from being elected president, despite the fact that the ban has been waived more than one occasions. Some legislators weren’t satisfied doing it once more.Some in Lebanon additionally perceived Aoun’s election as the end result of out of doors force — particularly from the US and Saudi Arabia — and no more the results of inside consensus. Hezbollah’s conflict with Israel weakened the militant team, politically and militarily, and left Lebanon wanting world help for reconstruction, which analysts mentioned cleared the path for Aoun’s election.Impartial lawmaker Halima Kaakour argued all the way through Thursday’s parliament consultation that “we can not justify violating the charter,” although there used to be precedent. She took a swipe at nations noticed as backing Aoun’s election, telling Western and Arab diplomats provide, “Nobody will have to intrude in our inside affairs.”Saab, the analyst, mentioned portray Aoun as a puppet of Washington is arbitrary, even if he said there’s no such factor as a Lebanese president or top minister utterly impartial of overseas affect.“All of the nation is closely penetrated and susceptible and on the mercy of world powers,” Saab mentioned. “However … in the event you have been going to check him to the management of Hezbollah being absolutely subservient to Iranian pursuits, then no, he’s now not that man on the subject of the American citizens.”___Associated Press writers Sally About AlJoud in Beirut and Mustapha Baba in Aichiye, Lebanon, contributed to this file.
