President Joseph Aoun. (Illustration by Jaimee Haddad)
It was a Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. Time was running out at the Lebanese Army headquarters in Yarze, overlooking the capital, Beirut. Parliament was due to convene the next day to elect the country’s 14th president since its independence in 1943.True to his military background, Joseph Aoun had long refrained from political maneuvering. One year ago... Army Chief Joseph Aoun elected 14th president of Lebanon “I am commander in chief. I have no right to intervene,” he kept telling those around him, even as they urged him to step up his campaign to improve his chances.This time, however, he had no choice. He had to be ready.After two years of political paralysis, events had suddenly accelerated. Dig deeper into the blueprint Can Joseph Aoun's appeasement strategy succeed? External powers, no longer willing to tolerate a presidential...
It was a Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. Time was running out at the Lebanese Army headquarters in Yarze, overlooking the capital, Beirut. Parliament was due to convene the next day to elect the country’s 14th president since its independence in 1943.True to his military background, Joseph Aoun had long refrained from political maneuvering. One year ago... Army Chief Joseph Aoun elected 14th president of Lebanon “I am commander in chief. I have no right to intervene,” he kept telling those around him, even as they urged him to step up his campaign to improve his chances.This time, however, he had no choice. He had to be ready.After two years of political paralysis, events had suddenly accelerated. Dig deeper into the blueprint Can Joseph Aoun's appeasement strategy succeed? External powers, no longer willing to tolerate a...
