Who Is Émile Lahoud

 

A buffoon of the highest order, totally corrupt and a puppet figure for Assad's Syria, that's who he is.

This biographical quote is priceless:

According to The New York Times, Lahoud has a reputation for "lounging through most afternoons in his Speedos by the pool at the Yarze country club, reading Paris-Match magazine and holding a tanning mirror." The newspaper reported that Lahoud denied allegations that he went swimming on the day of Hariri's funeral. He told a group of journalists: "I swim every day — it's my workout — but on that specific day, I did not swim."

Well, not surprising, considering that he was the reason Rafik Hariri, the Prime Minister of Lebanon from 1992 to 1998 and again from 2000 until his resignation on 20 October 2004, was assassinated:

Hariri and others in the anti-Syrian opposition had questioned the plan to extend the term of Lebanese President Emile Lahoud, emboldened by popular anger and civic action now being called Lebanon's "Cedar Revolution".

Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, a recent recruit of the anti-Syrian opposition, alleged in the wake of the assassination that in August 2004 Syrian President Bashar al-Assad threatened Hariri, saying "Lahoud is me. ... If you and Chirac want me out of Lebanon, I will break Lebanon." He was quoted as saying "When I heard him telling us those words, I knew that it was his condemnation of death." [...]

Mr. Hariri reminded Mr. Assad of his pledge not to seek an extension for Mr. Lahoud’s term, and Mr. Assad replied that there was a policy shift and that the decision was already taken. He added that Mr. Lahoud should be viewed as his personal representative in Lebanon and that “opposing him is tantamount to opposing Assad himself”. He then added that he (Mr. Assad) “would rather break Lebanon over the heads of [Mr.] Hariri and [Druze leader] Walid Jumblatt than see his word in Lebanon broken”.

Irish journalist Lara Marlowe with whom Hariri talked reported similar allegations. According to the testimonies, Mr. Assad then threatened both Mr. Hariri and Mr. Jumblatt with physical harm if they opposed the extension for Mr. Lahoud. The meeting reportedly lasted for ten minutes, and was the last time Mr. Hariri met with Mr. Assad. After that meeting, Mr. Hariri told his supporters that they had no other option but to support the extension for Mr. Lahoud. The Mission has also received accounts of further threats made to Mr. Hariri by security officials in case he abstained from voting in favor of the extension or “even thought of leaving the country”.

Now, remember, Lahoud bragged "I myself built up this army following the civil war" as outlined in my post 'Commander-In-Chief From Hell'. So the 'don't-show don't-search deal' takes on an even more sinister dimension:

Hezbollah welcomed the army deployment and its ministers voted with the cabinet majority. But political sources involved in the decision said Hezbollah did so on condition that the army pledge not to look closely at whether all of the militia's armaments and missile stores were carried out of the border zone.

Don't miss the Spiegel interview with Cardinal Nasrallah Sfeir, the Christian patriarch of the Maronite Church, speaking out against the "on-going Christian exodus, the future of Hezbollah and the influence of Iran and Syria on his country".

His statement that Lebanon "can make peace with Israel only when all other Arab states have signed a peace treaty with Israel too" is certainly worth debating. What are your thoughts?

Comments

[Dave]

A worrisome pawn as is Assad. The root of the problem(s) lies further to the east. Time spent on these puppets is time wasted. We must look to the puppet masters or at least cut the strings.

[Ernesto Ribeiro]

The worst blind people os that ones which don't wanna see...

They blame Israel and even America... and the worst self-negation comes from Lebanon itself: that country gave shelter to its real (within) enemies for decades. Obvious consequence: got destroyed by them.

And in reaction, what Lebanese people does? Elect Hezbollah to many chairs in Parlament. Their Premier is a Hezbollah "trusted man".

But who said muslims are logic people?

http://inferno_.blig.ig.com.br

[Saul Davis]

Alexandra: My feelings were adequately expressed by Arthur Herman's article in the NY Post online: http://www.nypost.com/postopinion/opedcolumnists/the_mideasts_munich_opedcolumnists_arthur_herman.htm; hat-tip Powerline; the situation is particularly depressing because we have too many Chamberlains [Lahoud does not even rise to the level of a Chamberlain], and not enough Churchills. The idea that Lebanon cannot make peace with Israel -- coming from a Christian leader, given the persecution of Christians since the '70s and his lament for the continuing Christian emigration -- is quite telling; there is no doubt that the Hizbullah/Syrian/Iranian triumverate possess complete control over Lebanon now; that means that the UN resolution is meaningless, any Lebanese who does not want to "drink tea with Sadat" must kowtow to Hizbullah, and the likelihood of further devastation of the region is very great; Lahoud is, as you so aptly state, a buffoon of the highest order; what perplexes me is the inability of Sec. Rice to see the consequences of her recommendations and positions; the fact that the bureaucrats [J. Bolton is one of the few exceptions here, but his hands are tied] at State take these positions is no surprise; the fact that Sec. Rice, and in turn the President accept these positions is beyond understanding.

[rich]

Archbishop Chaput says "In Christian Muslim-relations, peace is not served by ignoring history."

http://www.archden.org/dcr/news.php?e=379&s=2&a=7992

[Ghost Dansing]

An interesting character...Maronite Christian with questionable popular support among Maronites; Naval Officer trained in the UK and the US. Became and Army Officer through a relative...and, at least according to the Middle East Intelligence Bulletin, has essentially made the LAF and appendage of the Syrian Army.

"During his nine-year tenure as army commander, Lahoud presided over a dramatic transformation in the Lebanese military. In 1993, the army instituted "flag service," requiring all Lebanese males to give a full year of military service, resulting in a massive expansion of the military from around 20,000 personnel to 65,000 personnel. Moreover, it was re-equipped with arms donated or sold at bargain prices by the United States, including at least 16 Huey helicopters, 850 armored personnel carriers, 3,000 jeeps and trucks, 60 ambulances, as well as thousands of uniforms, small arms and other equipment. "The Lebanese look like a little American division in their equipment and uniforms," one American officer told The Washington Post in 1998.1 Moreover, Lahoud ensured that all military units were thoroughly integrated across sectarian and regional lines and were frequently rotated around the country."

"However, Lahoud's ostensible commitment to stamping out sectarianism in the Lebanese army masked a much more critical function of his role as the first military commander of Lebanon's Second Republic: the Syrianization of the Lebanese army. The 1991 Defense and Security Pact signed by Damascus and its new satellite state required Lebanon "to exchange information related to all security and strategic matters" with the Syrians and to "exchange officers . . . including military instructors . . . to achieve the highest level of military coordination" between the two countries. This meant that Syrian military officers would now be permitted to attend high-level military staff meetings and examine the files of Lebanon's intelligence agencies. Whereas previously most high-ranking military officers received training in Western countries, more officers were now being sent to Syrian military academies."

This is all very interesting...given the history of Lebanon, and in particular the Civil War. It appears that Syria was/is essentially trying to win the acceptance of the Maronite community for Syrian hegemony.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out after the latest conflict. But it does seem like sending the LAF to Southern Lebanon is a lot like sending Syrian troops to Southern Lebanon.

"Foreign Affairs" had this at the end of an article in April 2005:

"For the "Cedar Revolution" to be truly successful, Syria must not only be pushed out of Lebanon, but its hegemony must also be followed by the emergence of a stable, peaceful democracy there. Hezbollah can scuttle this outcome or nurture it. The United States should do what it can to see that the party takes the latter path."

It is likely the latest conflict was a big step backwards for the "Cedar Revolution"...and the question remains: Who will disarm hisballah? I don't think they will disarm themselves.

[Tom Konetski]

Looks to me like Iran`s version of Al Capone has moved his boys into the neighborhood to offer "protection" to the Lebanese as the sweaty-palmed politicians nervously look the other way and take their payoff. The hoods keep their turf. Your link to the interview with the leader of the Maronite church is revealing. Such remarks from Christian leadership make me ponder the deep yet simple verse in John: "Jesus wept."