Michel Aoun
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Michel Naim Aoun (ميشال عون) (born 17 February 1935 in Beirut) is a Lebanese military commander and politician. From 22 September 1988 to 13 October 1990, he served as Prime Minister and acting President of one of two rival governments that contended for power. He was defeated by Syria in the war of liberation and the Lebanese Forces in the war of annihilation and forced into exile. He returned to Lebanon on May 7, 2005,[1] eleven days after the withdrawal of Syrian troops.[2]
Known as "The General," [1] Aoun is currently a Parliament Member. He leads the "Free Patriotic Movement" party.
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[edit] Background and early career
A Christian Maronite, Michel Aoun was born to a poor family in the mixed Christian and Muslim suburb of Haret Hreik, in the southern outskirts of Beirut. Aoun recalled having close friendships with many Muslims during his early years. "We never distinguished between Ali and Pierre, or between Hassan and Georges," he later said. "We ate together and slept at each other's homes."[3] He finished his secondary education at the College Des Frères in 1956 and enrolled in the Military Academy as a cadet officer. Three years later, he graduated as an artillery officer in the Lebanese Army. He later received additional training at Chalon-Sur-Marne, France (1958-1959), Fort Sill, Oklahoma in the U.S. (1966) and the École Supérieure de Guerre, France (1978-1980).
During the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982, Aoun mobilized an army battalion to defend the presidential palace in Baabda, lest it should be attacked. This was the only action of the Lebanese army in that war. During the Lebanese Civil War in September 1983, Aoun's multi-confessional 8th Mechanised Infantry Battalion fought Muslim, Druze and Palestinian forces at the battle of Souq el Gharb. In June 1984 Aoun was chosen to be commander of the Lebanese army.
[edit] Rival governments
On September 22, 1988, the outgoing President, Amine Gemayel, dismissed the civilian administration of Prime Minister Selim al-Hoss, and appointed a six-member interim military government, composed of three Christians and three Muslims, though the Muslims refused to serve. Backed by Syria, Al-Hoss declared his dismissal invalid. Two governments emerged - one civilian and mainly Muslim in West Beirut, headed by Al-Huss, the other, military and mainly Christian, in East Beirut, led by Michel Aoun acting as Prime Minister [1]. Gemayel's move was of questionable validity, as it violated the National Pact of 1943, which reserved the position of prime minister for a Sunni Muslim. Gemayel argued, however, that as the National Pact also reserved the presidency for a Maronite Christian, and as the Prime Minister assumes the powers and duties of the President in the event of a vacancy, it would be proper to fill that office temporarily with a Maronite. Gemayel referenced the historical precedent of 1952, when General Fouad Chehab, a Christian Maronite, was appointed as prime minister of a transition government following the resignation of President Beshara El-Khoury.
Aoun could rely on 40% of the Lebanese army, including nearly all tanks and artillery, the Lebanese Forces militia headed by Samir Geagea, Dany Chamoun and the National Liberal Party, as well as the support of Iraq's President Saddam Hussein. Aoun controlled parts of east Beirut and some neighbouring suburbs. In the Spring of 1989, he terminated his alliance with the Lebanese Forces and used the army to wrest control of ports they held, in order to raise customs revenues for his government. Many suggest that the real reason for his assault on the LF was to attempt to entice Arab leaders to recognize him as Lebanon's head of state. Moreover, by attacking the overwhelmingly Christian LF, he would highlight his non-sectarian credentials. Over the following few months, Aoun’s army and the Syrians exchanged artillery fire in Beirut, which cost the lives of many civilians as well as around 1,000 soldiers on both sides.
Support from France and Iraq emboldened Aoun to declare war on Syria on March 14, 1989. Over the next few months Aoun's army and the Syrians exchanged artillery fire in Beirut until only 100,000 people remained from the original 1 million, the rest having fled. During this period Aoun became critical of American support for Syria and moved closer to Iraq, accepting arms supplies from Saddam Hussein.
In October 1989 Lebanese National Assembly members met to draw up the Taif Accord in an attempt to settle the Lebanese conflict. Aoun refused to attend, denounced the politicians who did so as traitors and issued a decree dissolving the assembly. After it was signed, Aoun denounced the Accord for failing to set a clear timeline for the complete withdrawal of the Syrian army from Lebanon. Aoun lost much support that he had previously had amongst Muslims, who now perceived his policies as another attempt to maintain Maronite supremacy. As a result of the Taif Accord the assembly met to elect René Moawad as President in November. His presidency lasted just 17 days before he was assassinated and Elias Hrawi was elected in his place. Hrawi appointed General Émile Lahoud as commander of the army and ordered Aoun out of the Presidential palace. Aoun rejected his dismissal and instead moved to eliminate political rivals in his enclave by attacking the LF in a war that lasted from January to May 1990. Aoun failed to destroy Samir Geagea's LF and was left in control of half of east Beirut.
[edit] Defeat and exile
The end approached for Aoun when his Iraqi ally, Saddam Hussein, launched his invasion of Kuwait on August 2 1990. Syria's President Hafez al-Assad sided with the United States. In return, the United States agreed to support Syria's interests in Lebanon. On October 13, Syrian forces attacked the presidential palace in Baabda, where Aoun was holed up, and he fled to the French ambassador's residence. There he surrendered via a radio address, instructing troops loyal to him to submit to the authority of general Emile Lahoud, reportedly at the insistence of the Syrians and their Lebanese allies. Ten months later he went into exile in France, where he continued his campaign to end Syrian influence in Lebanon, and led a political party, the Free Patriotic Movement. In 2003, an avowed Aounist candidate, Hikmat Deeb, came surprisingly close to winning a key byelection in the Baabda-Aley constituency with the endorsement of such right-wing figures as Solange and Nadim Gemayel (the widow and son of former President-elect Bachir Gemayel, who was assassinated in 1982), as well as leftists like George Hawi of the Lebanese Communist Party, although most of the opposition supported the government candidate, Henry Hélou. Aoun's ability to attract support from key figures of both the left and right revealed that he was still a force to be reckoned with.
[edit] Return to Lebanon
Aoun ended 15 years of exile when he returned to Lebanon on May 7, 2005. Joined by his family, including his grandchildren and his brother whom he had not seen for 15 years, he held a short press conference at Beirut International Airport before heading with a convoy of loyalists and journalists to the "Grave of the Un-named Soldiers and Martyrs" who died in the cause of Lebanese nationalism. After praying and expressing his gratitude and blessing to the people, he went on to the grave site of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, who was assassinated on 14 February 2005 to pay his respects there. His journey continued to Martyrs Square (unofficially renamed Freedom Square) where he was reportedly greeted by substantial numbers of Lebanese supporters, many of them young people.
Since his arrival, Aoun has moved into a new home in Lebanon's Rabieh district, where he was visited on 8 May by a large delegation from the disbanded Lebanese Forces (LF) militia, who were among Aoun's former enemies. Aoun and Sitrida Geagea, wife of the imprisoned LF leader Samir Geagea (since released), publicly reconciled. Aoun later visited Geagea in prison (he was the first of all opposition leaders to do so) and called for his release. Other prominent visitors that day and the next included National Liberal Party leader Dory Chamoun (Dany Chamoun's brother), Solange Gemayel (assassinated President-elect Bachir Gemayel's widow), Nayla Moawad (widow of assassinated President René Moawad), and opposition MP Boutros Harb. Patriarch Nasrallah Cardinal Sfeir of the Maronite community sent a delegation to welcome him, and even the Shiite Muslim Hizbullah Party sent a delegation and hinted that their leader, Hassan Nasrallah, would later meet with Aoun in person.
[edit] Political strategy
In the parliamentary election at the end of May 2005, Aoun surprised many observers by entering into electoral alliances with a number of erstwhile opponents, including some staunchly pro-Syrian politicians including Michel Murr and Suleiman Frangieh, Jr. Some saw this as indicating a belief that pro- and anti-Syrian positions are no longer relevant, now that Syrian troops have left Lebanon. Others, however, saw it as a cynical move to maximize his chances of winning parliamentary seats. Aoun opposed the March 14 parliamentary coalition which included the Future Movement, the Progressive Socialist Party, the Lebanese Forces and other minor parties. He argued that the key members of this coalition undertook an agreement with the Amal movement and Hezbollah to keep the electoral law of the year 2000. Critics argue that this law, implemented by Syrian intelligence chief Ghazi Kanaan, does not provide for a real popular representation and marginalizes many communities throughout the country.
In the third round of voting, Aoun's party, the Free Patriotic Movement, made a strong showing, winning 21 of the 58 seats contested in that round, including almost all of the seats in the Christian heartland of Mount Lebanon. Aoun himself was elected to the National Assembly. In the fourth and final round, however, the FPM failed to win any seats in Northern Lebanon, although gaining most of the Christian votes there, thus falling short of its objective of holding the balance of power between the main anti-Syrian opposition coalition (formerly known to be Syria's strong allies) led by Sa'ad Hariri (which won an absolute majority) and the Shiite-dominated Amal-Hezbollah alliance.
Aoun and his Free Patriotic Movement party lead the opposition against the government dominated by the March 14th coalition. He argued that this government did not have a unified vision for the country, and would lead to political crises in the future. For example, the government declaration was advocating, at the same time, the right of Lebanon to resist Israel and the necessity to abide by all the United Nations resolutions, including UN resolution 1559.
Aoun claimed that the government attempted to paralyze the Constitutional Council that was expected to investigate alleged irregularities committed by the March 14th coalition during the 2005 parliamentary elections. He opposed attempts of this coalition to overthrow the President Lahoud through a popular uprising, and to elect another president who would be controlled by this coalition. He argued that any change in regime should be undertaken according to the Lebanese Constitution.
In an unprecedented move, Aoun signed an agreement of understanding with Hezbollah on February 6, 2006. The agreement constitutes a first step towards resolving the main differences between Lebanon's political parties. This historical document allowed bridging the gap between the Free Patriotic Movement and Hezbollah. Aoun argued that the March 14th coalition was making a political mistake by trying to isolate Hezbollah. In fact, some Lebanese history analysts argue that the isolation of the Kataeb party was one of the reasons behind the Lebanese civil war in 1975.
Before his return to Lebanon on May 7, 2005, Aoun launched the idea of organizing a National Dialogue Conference with representatives from all parties. He delegated a commission that visited the different Lebanese leaders for that purpose. His efforts finally succeeded on March 2, 2006, when the Speaker of the Parliament Nabih Berri invited 14 representatives of Lebanon's main political parties and religious communities to meet in the National Assembly in order to settle differences and set a strategy for the future.
Aoun's platform is a liberal, secular one. He has said: "We want to create a secular culture with the people so that the population begins to demand it and be able to confront religious authorities that refuse it." [1] He argues in favor of allowing civil marriage, empowering women, changing the citizenship laws, establishing a system of corporate governance, and having external auditors help to control the debt burden.[1]
[edit] Timeline
1935: Born in the Beirut suburb of Haret Hreik, as the son of poor Maronite parents.
1941: His family has to move out of their house, as British/Australian forces occupy it.
1955: He finishes his secondary education, and becomes a cadet officer at the Military Academy.
1958: Graduates as an artillery officer in the army. — Goes to France, to receive further military training at Chalons-sur-Marnes. He graduates the following year.
1966: Gets military training at Fort Seale, USA.
1978: Goes to France for more military training at Ecole Superieure de Guerre.
1980: Returns to Lebanon, where he soon is appointed head of the Defence Brigade, which is stationed along the Green Line that separated West and East Beirut.
1982: Aoun gets command over the new 8th Brigade, a multi-confessional army unit.
1984: Is promoted to brigadier-general, and military chief of staff.
1988 September 22: Is appointed by outgoing president Amine Gemayel (15 minutes before the expiration of his term) to head a military government, in an act immediately assailed as unconstitutional. The area under his control at this point is very small: East Beirut and surrounding suburbs.
1989 February: Has his army take control of the harbour of Beirut, which came to involve military actions against fellow Maronite Christians.
— March: As prime minister, Aoun declares a "war of liberation" against Syria.
— September: Aoun agrees to a cease-fire.
— October: Even though the National Reconciliation Charter gets support from most Muslim and Christian parliamentarians, Aoun rejects it, because it does not propose a clear schedule for the syrian army withdrawal from Lebanon.
— November 5: Aoun refuses to recognize the newly elected president Rene Muawad.
— November 24: As had been the case with Muawad (assassinated on November 22), Aoun ignores the new president Elias Hrawi. Hrawi responds by dismissing Aoun, but Aoun continues to stay in the presidential palace and call himself prime minister.
1990 January: Heavy fighting between Aoun's troops and the Lebanese Forces, who, like Aoun were also Christian, and his supporters. Still, Aoun is able to control 35% of the Christian parts of Beirut, together with surrounding areas, about 750 km² altogether.
— October: Following an air and ground campaign, Lebanese and Syrian troops are able to defeat Aoun and his soldiers. Aoun takes refuge in the French embassy, from which he conducted the negotiations for a cease-fire.
1991 August: Aoun leaves for France after the Lebanese government had granted him conditional amnesty, and the French president, asylum.
1999 January: Prime Minister Rafik Hariri says that Aoun can return to Lebanon with the guarantee that he will not be arrested. He was uncertain of how Syria would act, and stayed abroad.
2005 May 7: Aoun returns to Lebanon, and settles. — Late May: Participates in the parliamentary elections. He is elected to the National Assembly, and his party, the Free Patriotic Movement, wins 21 seats.
2006 December 1: Participates in massive Hezbollah-led anti-government demonstration calling for the resignation of the Siniora government, which he brands unconstitutional, and "made corruption a daily affair".
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b c d Derhally, Massoud A. "The General," Arabian Business Magazine, June 12, 2005
- ^ Gambill, Gary C. "The Syrian Occupation of Lebanon," The Middle East Forum, May 13, 2003
- ^ Pierre Raffoul, The Betrayal of Lebanon (Lebanese Coordination Bureau of Victoria, October 2000), p. 1-2.
[edit] References
- Derhally, Massoud A. "The General" Arabian Business Magazine, June 12, 2005
[edit] Further reading
- Aoun ready to be the next president of Lebanon, Ya Libnan, 17 June 2005
- Official Election Results - Bekaa & Mount Lebanon, Ya Libnan, 14 June 2005
- Big poll win for Lebanon ex-chief, BBC, 13 June 2005
- Aoun Returns to Lebanon, Ya Libnan, 7 May 2005
- Dossier: Michel Aoun, MEIB, January 2001
| Military Offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Ibrahim Tannous |
Armed Forces Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces 1984-1989 |
Succeeded by Emile Lahoud |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Amine Gemayel |
President of Lebanon (acting, disputed) 1988–1990 |
Succeeded by Elias Hrawi |
| Preceded by Selim al-Hoss |
Prime Minister of Lebanon (disputed) 1988–1990 |
Succeeded by Selim al-Hoss |
