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Michel Aoun in Ehden visiting Frangieh June 2005

Michel Aoun (born in 1935 in Beirut) (Arabic:ميشيل عون) 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, with Aoun's administration attracting little international recognition[1] [2]. After returning from exile to Lebanon in 2005, he was elected to the [[Lebane Parliament, and leads the "Free Patriotic Movement" party and the "Change and Reform" parliamentary bloc. Image File history File links Padlock. ... Image File history File links General Michel Aoun, Lebanese soldier and politician. ... Image File history File links General Michel Aoun, Lebanese soldier and politician. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Central Beirut Beirut (Arabic: , BayrÅ«t) is the capital, largest city, and chief seaport of Lebanon. ... Arabic can mean: From or related to Arabia From or related to the Arabs The Arabic language; see also Arabic grammar The Arabic alphabet, used for expressing the languages of Arabic, Persian, Malay ( Jawi), Kurdish, Panjabi, Pashto, Sindhi and Urdu, among others. ... September 22 is the 265th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (266th in leap years). ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... October 13 is the 286th day of the year (287th in leap years). ... This article is about the year. ... This page lists prime ministers of Lebanon. ... This page lists presidents of Lebanon. ... The Free Patriotic Movement (Tayyar Al-Watani Al-Horr), also known as the Aounist Current (Tayyar Al-Aouni), is a Lebanese political party, led by General Michel Aoun, a former commander of the Lebanese army who served as Prime Minister of one of two governments that contended for power in...

Background and early career

A Maronite Catholic, Aoun was born to a poor family in Haret Hraik, a mixed Muslim-Christian suburb south of Beirut. Aoun established close friendships with many Muslims during his early years. "We never distinguished between Ali and Pierre, or between Hassan and Michel," he later recalled. "We ate together and slept at each other's homes" . 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 Chalons-sur-Marnes, France (1958-1959), Fort Sill, Oklahoma in the U.S.A. (1966) and the École Supérieure de Guerre, France (1978-1980). Maronites (Marunoye ܡܪܘܢܝܐܶ; in Syriac, Mâruniyya مارونية in Arabic) are members of an Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with the Pope of Rome. ... 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Fort Sill is a United States Army post near Lawton, Oklahoma; about 85 miles southwest of Oklahoma City. ... Official language(s) None Capital Oklahoma City Largest city Oklahoma City Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 20th 181,196 km² 355 km 645 km 1. ... For other uses, see United States (disambiguation) and US (disambiguation). ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ... 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ...

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 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. 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article was imported from the CIA World Factbook and needs to be rewritten and/or reformatted in accordance with Wikipedia styles. ... For the civil conflict of 1958, see Lebanon crisis of 1958. ... Look up September in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... for Imam Muslim, see Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم) is an adherent of Islam. ... The Druze (Arabic: duruzī درزي, pl. ... The term Palestinian has other usages, for which see definitions of Palestinian. ... Look up June in Wiktionary, the free dictionary June is the sixth month of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with a length of 30 days The month is named after the Roman goddess Juno, wife of Jupiter and equivalent to the Greek goddess Hera. ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article was imported from the CIA World Factbook and needs to be rewritten and/or reformatted in accordance with Wikipedia styles. ...

Two Prime Ministers

On September 22, 1988. the outgoing President, Amine Gemayel, appointed a six-member interim military government, composed of three Christians and three Muslims, though the Muslims refused to serve. Lebanon now has two governments - one mainly Muslim in West Beirut, headed by Al-Huss, the other, Christian, in East Beirut, led by the Maronite Commander-in-Chief of the Army, Gen Michel Aoun acting as Prime Minister [3]. This 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. The Constitution itself was silent on this matter; it was not clarified until the Taif Agreement of 1989 codified the reservation of executive positions for members of designated confessions. September 22 is the 265th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (266th in leap years). ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This page lists presidents of Lebanon. ... Amine Gemayel Amine Gemayel (born 1942) was President of Lebanon from 1982 to 1988. ... This page lists prime ministers of Lebanon. ... The National Pact is an unwritten agreement that laid the foundation of Lebanon and has shaped the country to this day. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) is a common year starting on Friday. ... Sunni Islam (Arabic سنّة) is the largest denomination of Islam. ... for Imam Muslim, see Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم) is an adherent of Islam. ... Maronites (Marunoye ܡܪܘܢܝܐܶ; in Syriac, Mâruniyya مارونية in Arabic) are members of an Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with the Pope of Rome. ... The Taif Agreement was negotiated in Taif, Saudi Arabia by the surviving members of Lebanons 1972 parliament, presided by Speaker of the House President Hussein El-Husseini. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Aoun could rely on 40% of the Lebanese army, including nearly all tanks and artillery, the Lebanese Forces militia headed by Samir Geagea and their Israeli backers, Dany Chamoun and the National Liberal Party, as well as the support of Iraq’s President Saddam Hussein. Opposed to Aoun was the former Prime Minister Selim al-Hoss, who declared his dismissal to be invalid and had the backing of Syria. Two Lebanese governments were formed, a civilian one under al-Hoss based in west Beirut and a military one under Aoun in east Beirut. 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. The Lebanese Forces are a Lebanese political party and former militia, which played a major role in the civil war which ravaged Lebanon from 1975 to 1990. ... Samir Geagea Samir Geagea سمير جعجع (born October 25, 1952) is the formerly imprisoned leader of the Lebanese Forces (LF) militia. ... Dany Chamoun (in white robes) with General Michel Aoun, on the balcony of the presidential palace in Baabda Dany Chamoun (1934 - 1990) was a prominent Lebanese politician. ... The National Liberal Party (Hizb al-Watanyin al-Ahrar) is a political party in Lebanon, established by President Camille Chamoun in 1958. ... Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti, (Arabic ), born April 28, 1937 , was the President of Iraq from 1979 until he was captured by the military of the United States on December 13th, 2003, following the 2003 invasion of Iraq. ... Selim al-Hoss Selim Ahmed al-Hoss (born 1929) is a Lebanese politician. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Support from France and Iraq emboldened Aoun to declare war on Syria on March 14th 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. Look up March in Wiktionary, the free dictionary March is the third month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... Events First year of tianfeng era of the Chinese Xin Dynasty. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

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. 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 Emile 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. Look up October in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The National Assembly of Lebanon is the Lebanese national legislature. ... The Taif Agreement was negotiated in Taif, Saudi Arabia by members of Lebanons parliament, presided by Speaker of the House President Hussein El-Husseini. ... René Moawad René Moawad (1925 - November 22, 1989) was President of Lebanon for 17 days in 1989, from the 5th to the 22nd of November, when he was assassinated. ... Elias Hrawi (born 1930) is a Lebanese politician. ... Émile Lahoud General Émile Geamil Lahoud (Arabic: اميل لحود) (born January 12, 1936) is the current President of Lebanon. ... This article is about the year. ... Samir Geagea Samir Geagea سمير جعجع (born October 25, 1952) is the formerly imprisoned leader of the Lebanese Forces (LF) militia. ...

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 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 Aoun surrendered and fled to the French ambassador’s residence. Ten months later he went into exile in France, where he continued his campaign to end Syrian influence in Lebanon, and by remote control 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. Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti, (Arabic ), born April 28, 1937 , was the President of Iraq from 1979 until he was captured by the military of the United States on December 13th, 2003, following the 2003 invasion of Iraq. ... August 2 is the 214th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (215th in leap years), with 151 days remaining. ... This article is about the year. ... Hafez al-Assad (October 6, 1930 - June 10, 2000) was the President of Syria from 1971 to 2000. ... October 13 is the 286th day of the year (287th in leap years). ... Baabda (Arabic: بعبدا) is a capital city of Mount Lebanon Governorate, western Lebanon. ... A television remote control A remote control is an electronic device used for the remote operation of a machine. ... Political parties in Lebanon lists political parties in Lebanon. ... The Free Patriotic Movement (Tayyar Al-Watani Al-Horr), also known as the Aounist Current (Tayyar Al-Aouni), is a Lebanese political party, led by General Michel Aoun, a former commander of the Lebanese army who served as Prime Minister of one of two governments that contended for power in... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Solange Gemayel is a political figure and former First Lady of Lebanon. ... Bachir Gemayel Bachir Gemayel, first name also spelt Bashir (Arabic: بشير الجميل), (November 10, 1947 - September 14, 1982) was a Lebanese military commander, politician and president elect. ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... George Hawi (1938 – June 21, 2005) was a Lebanese politician and former secretary general of the Lebanese Communist Party (LCP) His nickname durig the war was Abou Anis. He was assassinated in 2005. ... One of the oldest multisectarian parties in Lebanon, the Lebanese Communist Party (LCP) was formed in 1924 by a group of intellectuals. ...

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. May 7 is the 127th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (128th in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Terminal Overview Beirut International Airport is an airport located in Beirut, Lebanon. ... Former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri Rafik Bahaa Edine Hariri — Arabic: رفيق الحريري (short name) or رفيق بهاء الدين الحريري (long name) — (November 1, 1944 – February 14, 2005), a self-made billionaire and business tycoon, was the Prime Minister of Lebanon from 1992 to 1998 and again from 2000 until his resignation on 20 October 2004. ... February 14 is the 45th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

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 (wife 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. Rabieh is a city in Lebanon, about 20 minutes driving distance from the countrys capital, Beirut. ... May 8 is the 128th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (129th in leap years). ... The Lebanese Forces are a Lebanese political party and former militia, which played a major role in the civil war which ravaged Lebanon from 1975 to 1990. ... Image:Sitrida geagea. ... Samir Geagea Samir Geagea سمير جعجع (born October 25, 1952) is the formerly imprisoned leader of the Lebanese Forces (LF) militia. ... The National Liberal Party (Hizb al-Watanyin al-Ahrar) is a political party in Lebanon, established by President Camille Chamoun in 1958. ... Dory Chamoun Dory Chamoun is a Lebanese politician who leads the National Liberal Party, and is also a prominent member of the Qornet Shehwan Gathering, a coalition of politicians, academics, and businessmen who oppose the pro-Syrian government of President Emile Lahoud. ... Solange Gemayel is a political figure and former First Lady of Lebanon. ... This page lists presidents of Lebanon. ... Bachir Gemayel Bachir Gemayel, first name also spelt Bashir (Arabic: بشير الجميل), (November 10, 1947 - September 14, 1982) was a Lebanese military commander, politician and president elect. ... Nayla Moawad Nayla Moawad (born 3 July 1940) is a Lebanese politician. ... René Moawad René Moawad (1925 - November 22, 1989) was President of Lebanon for 17 days in 1989, from the 5th to the 22nd of November, when he was assassinated. ... The National Assembly of Lebanon is the Lebanese national legislature. ... This is a list of the Maronite Patriarchs of Antioch, who have lead the Maronite Catholic Church, one of the Eastern-rite churches united with the Roman Catholic Church. ... Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Cardinal Sfeir His Eminence and His Beatitude Nasrallah Boutros Cardinal Sfeir (born May 15, 1920 in Rayfoun, Lebanon) is the leader of Lebanons largest Christian sect, the Maronites. ... Maronites (Marunoye ܡܪܘܢܝܐܶ; in Syriac, Mâruniyya مارونية in Arabic) are members of an Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with the Pope of Rome. ... Shia Islam or Shi`ism (from the Arabic word شيعة, Persian: شیعه) is the second largest denomination of the religion of Islam. ... Hezbollah militant Guerrilla carrying Hezbollah Flag Hezbollah (Arabic ‮حزب الله‬, meaning Party of God) is a political and military organization in Lebanon founded in 1982 to fight Israel in southern Lebanon. ... Hizbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah Hassan Nasrallah (Arabic: حسن نصرالله) is the current Secretary General of the Lebanese political party group Hezbollah. ...

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, with his eye on a new Lebanon without corruption. Elections in Lebanon gives information on election and election results in Lebanon. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Michel Murr is the former Lebanese Minister of the Interior. ... Born on September 18, 1964 in Zgharta, Lebanon. ...

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. The Free Patriotic Movement (Tayyar Al-Watani Al-Horr), also known as the Aounist Current (Tayyar Al-Aouni), is a Lebanese political party, led by General Michel Aoun, a former commander of the Lebanese army who served as Prime Minister of one of two governments that contended for power in... Mount Lebanon is the mountain range that extends across the whole country of Lebanon about 160 km (100 mi) parallel to the Mediterranean coast and rising to 3,090 m (10,131 ft). ... Saadeddine Rafik Hariri (Arabic: سعد الدين الحريري (short name) or سعد الدين رفيق الحريري (long name)); (born April 1970) is the younger son of Rafik Hariri, the assassinated former prime minister of Lebanon. ... Shia Islam ( Arabic شيعى follower; English has traditionally used Shiite or Shiite) is the second largest Islamic denomination; some 20-25% of all Muslims are said to follow a Shia tradition. ... For other uses of Amal, see the disambiguation page. ... The Hezbollah flag Hezbollah (Arabic ‮حزب الله‬, meaning Party of God) is a Shia Islamist group in Lebanon founded in 1982 to fight the Israeli occupation in southern Lebanon. ...

External links

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Michel Aoun - Return from exile speech, 7 May 2005

• "The General" by Massoud A. Derhally, Arabian Business magazine June 12, 2005
• 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