Joseph Aoun

An Aounist for President?

Qatari envoy to Lebanon Jassim bin Fahd al-Thani (Abu Fahd) did not succeed in convincing the head of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), Gebran Bassil, to elect either Marada Party leader Sleiman Franjieh or Army Commander-in-chief General Joseph Aoun to the presidency.  The envoy spent days in Lebanon during which he met with Franjieh, Bassil ...

Cabinet Appoints Army Chief of Staff, Approves 2024 Budget

The Council of Ministers appointed a new Army chief of staff and approved the 2024 budget on Thursday in a session that was delayed for three hours due to protests by retired military personnel attempting to block the entrances to the Grand Serail. The Cabinet appointed General Hassan Audi as Chief of Staff of the Army after he was promoted to ...

German Donation Worth Two Million Euros to the Lebanese Army

Army Commander-in-Chief General Joseph Aoun and German Ambassador to Lebanon Kurt Georg Stoeckl-Stillfried signed an agreement on Wednesday under which German authorities are to offer a donation worth two million euros to support the army, one million of which would be allocated to fuel and the other to the medical needs of army personnel. It ...

Quintet-Backed Joseph Aoun Awaiting Iran’s Endorsement

The representatives of the five countries overseeing developments in Lebanon, known as the Quintet (Saudi Arabia, France, the United States, Qatar and Egypt), are gearing up for a meeting in Riyadh, according to some information. It is anticipated that the meeting, potentially involving foreign ministers, will include the Quintet's ambassadors in ...

Japan Provides 'Emergency Support' for the Lebanese Army

The Japanese authorities have pledged their support for the Lebanese Army through an agreement on an “emergency support project for the Lebanese Armed Forces that includes enhancing health services and implementing essential works.” The agreement, signed on Tuesday at a meeting in Yarzeh, was attended by the Commander-in-Chief of the Army, ...

Berri Speaks of the Presidential Election's ‘Lebanonization’

The Speaker of Parliament, Nabih Berri, asserted that he reached an agreement with the ambassadors of the countries comprising the quintet responsible for the Lebanese presidential election dossier on the necessity to “Lebanonize” the upcoming presidential deadline. In an interview with the pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat, Berri emphasized ...

David Cameron Makes His Second Visit to Lebanon

As part of his tour of the region, British Minister of Foreign Affairs David Cameron visited Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Army Commander Joseph Aoun, and Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri. His visit discussed the future of the security situation in Gaza and South Lebanon.

Joseph Aoun Welcomes New US Ambassador Lisa A. Johnson

Commander-in-Chief of the Army General Joseph Aoun received the new US Ambassador to Lebanon, Lisa A. Johnson, on Wednesday, in a first official introductory visit after assuming her post. General Aoun is among the first Lebanese officials to meet the US ambassador, who arrived in Beirut on January 11 to take up her post, succeeding Dorothy Shea.

Is Gebran Bassil’s Purported Plan a Game Changer?

Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) chief Gebran Bassil is presently equidistant from all political forces, even from Hezbollah (supposedly his Mar Mikhael Agreement ally). This position is the result of the blow he suffered from his closest allies when it came to extending the tenure of the Army Commander-in-Chief. As such, the prolongation of ...

Death of the Mother of Army Commander Joseph Aoun

The army's Commander-in-Chief, General Joseph Aoun, lost his mother, Hoda Ibrahim Makhlouta, on Friday. The funeral will take place on Saturday, January 6, at 10 AM, at Sainte-Thérèse Church in Fayadieh. The burial will take place in her hometown of Aichiyeh, in southern Lebanon, and condolences will be received until 4 PM in the hall of the ...

Joseph Aoun Discusses UNIFIL Collaboration with Lázaro

Commander-in-Chief of the Army General Joseph Aoun convened several meetings in his office in Yarzeh on Thursday to discuss the situation in southern Lebanon and the role of the Lebanese Army. Discussions with UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Aroldo Lázaro focused on cooperation and coordination between the Lebanese Army ...