Émile Lahoud
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Émile Jamil Lahoud (born 12 January 1936) is a Lebanese politician who served as the 11th
president of Lebanon The president of the Lebanese Republic () is the head of state of Lebanon. The president is elected by the parliament for a term of six years, which cannot be renewed immediately because they can only be renewed non-consecutively. By convention, ...
from 1998 to 2007. During his presidency, the
Israeli occupation of Southern Lebanon The Israeli occupation of Southern Lebanon lasted for eighteen years, from 1982 until 2000. In June 1982, Israel invaded Lebanon in response to attacks from southern Lebanon by Palestinian militants. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) occupied the ...
, that had lasted since 1982, ended in May 2000. He downplayed
sectarianism Sectarianism is a debated concept. Some scholars and journalists define it as pre-existing fixed communal categories in society, and use it to explain political, cultural, or Religious violence, religious conflicts between groups. Others conceiv ...
and rearmed the Lebanese army, with help from Syria. Lahoud was closely allied to Syrian president Bashar al-Assad during the
Syrian occupation of Lebanon The Syrian occupation of Lebanon lasted from 31 May 1976, beginning with the Syrian intervention in the Lebanese Civil War, until 30 April 2005. This period saw significant Syrian military and political influence over Lebanon, impacting its g ...
, and was seen as playing a key role in preserving the occupation.


Early life

Émile Lahoud was born in Baabdat on 12 January 1936. However, his birthplace is given as
Beirut Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...
by the
Armed Forces A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a ...
. He is the youngest son of General and former minister Jamil Lahoud. His mother, Andrenee Bajakian, is of
Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...
descent from the Armenian-populated village of Kesab in Syria. Lahoud's older brother, Nasri Lahoud, was a judge who served as the military prosecutor general. Émile Lahoud is the nephew of
Salim Lahoud Salim Nassib Lahoud (1910–1971) was a Lebanese Maronite Christian political figure who was a Member of Parliament and Minister of Foreign Affairs and National Defense of Lebanon in the 1950s among other ministerial posts. Lahoud was the father ...
who served as Lebanese foreign minister from 1955 to 1957. Émile Lahoud is the great-grandson of Takouhi Kalebjian and Minas Sagerian on his maternal side who were from Adabazar,
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
(now
Adapazarı Adapazarı () is a municipality and the capital Districts of Turkey, district of Sakarya Province, Turkey. Its area is 324 km2, and its population 281,489 (2022). It covers the central and northern part of the agglomeration of Adapazarı and t ...
,
Republic of Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
). Adabazar is located about 50 miles (80 kilometers) outside
Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
on the Black Sea. Both Minas and Takouhi were massacred during the
Armenian genocide The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenians, Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was implemented primarily t ...
which occurred under the rule of the Ottoman Empire during
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. in 2001, Lahoud visited Armenia. In his short working visit, he found time to walk around Yerevan and visit
Tsitsernakaberd The Armenian Genocide Memorial complex (, ''Hayots tseghaspanutyan zoheri hushahamalir'', or Ô¾Õ«Õ®Õ¥Õ¼Õ¶Õ¡Õ¯Õ¡Õ¢Õ¥Ö€Õ¤, '' Tsitsernakaberd'') is Armenia's official memorial Armenian genocide recognition, dedicated to the victims of the Armenian g ...
, the Armenian Genocide memorial complex, and laid a wreath at the eternal flame in the memory of the victims. Lahoud received his elementary education at the Collège de la Sagesse, in
Beirut Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...
, and his secondary education at
Brummana High School Brummana High School (BHS, ) is a private school in Lebanon. It is located in the village of Brummana, situated in Metn, Mount Lebanon, east of the capital city Beirut. This school was established in 1873, by the Quaker Theophilus Waldmeier ( ...
in north Metn. He entered the military academy as a
naval cadet Officer cadet is a rank held by military personnel during their training to become commissioned officers. In the United Kingdom, the rank is also used by personnel of University Service Units such as the University Officers' Training Corps. Th ...
in 1956 and studied there for one year. He then attended Dartmouth Naval College in
the United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
. He returned to the Lebanese military academy and graduated later as an
ensign Ensign most often refers to: * Ensign (flag), a flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality * Ensign (rank), a navy (and former army) officer rank Ensign or The Ensign may also refer to: Places * Ensign, Alberta, Alberta, Canada * Ensign, Ka ...
. In 1986, he took a navy engineering course at the Naval Engineering Academy in the United Kingdom. As a captain, he attended the U.S. Naval War College, in
Newport, Rhode Island Newport is a seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Rhode Island, United States. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, and nort ...
, graduating in 1973.


Military life

Lahoud became lieutenant junior grade on 18 September 1962 and lieutenant on 1 April 1969. He was promoted to lieutenant commander on 1 January 1974 and to commander on 1 January 1976. He then began to serve as a Navy Engineer Staff Captain from 1 January 1980 and as a Navy Engineer Staff Rear Admiral from 1 January 1985. On 28 November 1989, he was promoted to Major Lieutenant General. Although he was trained as a naval officer, Lahoud benefited from the appointment of his maternal cousin, General Jean Njeim, as army commander and was appointed to head the transportation section of the army's fourth division in 1970. Although Njeim died in a helicopter crash in 1971, Lahoud steadily rose through the ranks of its officer corps. In 1980, he was appointed Director of Personnel in the Army Command. In 1983, he was given an administrative position at the Defense Ministry, where he was responsible for coordination between ministry officials and the Commander of the Lebanese Army, a position which was held by Michel Aoun in 1984. In 1989, Lahoud was appointed to the post of Commander in chief of the army as part of Elias Hraoui's Western and Arab backed government in West Beirut. As part of the Taef agreement – to extend the authority of the new Lebanese government in Lebanese Forces controlled areas – Lahoud sent General Elie Hayek to take control of Mount Lebanon North of Baabda. During his career as chief of the LAF, Lahoud allowed Lebanese's security-military apparatus to be firmly controlled by Syria.


Political career

Lahoud ran for the presidency in 1998 after having amended the constitution to allow the army commander-in-chief to run for office. This amendment is believed to have been backed by
Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
. His presidency was secured following the receipt of 118 votes from the 128-member Lebanese Parliament. When he became Lebanon's president in 1998, he aligned himself with
Hezbollah Hezbollah ( ; , , ) is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and paramilitary group. Hezbollah's paramilitary wing is the Jihad Council, and its political wing is the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc party in the Lebanese Parliament. I ...
, and picked his own man as prime minister, Selim al-Hoss. This led to heightened tensions between Rafiq Hariri and Lahoud. The other significant move Lahoud made shortly after his presidency was a request that Syria remove
Ghazi Kanaan Ghazi Kanaan (; 1942 – 12 October 2005; also known by his nickname Abu Yo'roub) was a Syrian Officer (armed forces), military officer and intelligence chief who served as Syria's interior minister from 2004 to 2005. He was also the long-tim ...
, who was serving as Syria's intelligence chief in Lebanon.Pdf.
Lahoud's request was not granted. During his term, Lahoud exerted more control over government decision-making than Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri or Parliament Speaker
Nabih Berri Nabih Mustafa Berri ( ; born 28 January 1938) is a Lebanese politician who has been serving as Speaker of the Parliament of Lebanon since 1992. He heads the Amal Movement and its parliamentary wing, Development and Liberation Bloc. Early lif ...
. In August 2001, he modified the limits on the executive authority of the presidency stipulated in the 1989 Ta'if Accord and ordered security forces to launch a massive arrest sweep against nationalist dissidents without informing Hariri and other cabinet ministers. In 2004, his six-year presidential term was supposed to end. Syria, however, although initially hesitant about Lahoud's candidacy, encouraged the extension of his term for three more years, regarding him as key to their control over Lebanon. The extension would be possible only if the constitution was amended. The Syrian leadership was reported to have threatened Hariri and others into endorsing the amendment. The intention to extend Lahoud's term prompted significant domestic turmoil. Ultimately, Hariri and the parliamentary majority voted for the extension of Lahoud's presidential term until November 2007, with 96 deputies voting in favor of the amendment against 29 who were opposed. However, four cabinet members resigned from office on 7 September 2004 in protest of the amendment: economy minister Marwan Hamadeh, culture minister Ghazi Aridi, environment minister Farès Boueiz and refugee affairs minister Abdullah Farhat. On the other hand, both the
Iranian government The Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran (), known simply as ''Nezam'' (), is the ruling State (polity), state and current political system in Iran, in power since the Iranian Revolution and fall of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1979. Its Const ...
and
Hezbollah Hezbollah ( ; , , ) is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and paramilitary group. Hezbollah's paramilitary wing is the Jihad Council, and its political wing is the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc party in the Lebanese Parliament. I ...
viewed the extension of his term as a desirable development: Iranian President
Mohammad Khatami Mohammad Khatami (born 14 October 1943) is an Iranian politician and Shia cleric who served as the fifth president of Iran from 3 August 1997 to 3 August 2005. He also served as Iran's Minister of Culture from 1982 to 1992. Later, he was critic ...
telephoned his congratulations to Lahoud, and a delegation of top Hezbollah officials visited Lahoud to convey Nasrallah's congratulations. The extension of Lahoud's term is seen as a clear example of Syria's control of Lebanese politics. In a 2006 ''
Der Spiegel (, , stylized in all caps) is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. With a weekly circulation of about 724,000 copies in 2022, it is one of the largest such publications in Europe. It was founded in 1947 by John Seymour Chaloner ...
'' interview, Lahoud argued that Hezbollah enjoys prestige in Lebanon, because it "freed our country". He further stated that although Hezbollah is a small-scale organization, it stands up to
Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
and voiced his respect for Hezbollah leader
Hassan Nasrallah Hassan Nasrallah (, ; 31 August 196027 September 2024) was a Lebanese cleric and politician who served as the third secretary-general of Hezbollah, a Shia Islamist political party and militia, from 1992 until his assassination in 2024. Bor ...
. In 2007, his presidential term ended. However, a new president was not immediately elected. Following a political deadlock which lasted for six months, the Lebanese parliament elected former army chief
Michel Suleiman Michel Suleiman ( ; born 21 November 1948) is a Lebanese politician who served as the 12th president of Lebanon from 2008 to 2014. Before becoming president, he served as commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces from 1998 to 2008. After Lebanese A ...
as president. It was claimed that Lahoud spent much of his presidency term swimming and sunbathing at the Yarzeh Country Club minutes away from the presidential palace. Although there were high expectations from his own Christian Maronite community and the support of the military which he had commanded in the post-war period, the unpopular Lahoud developed a reputation as a weak leader by some, largely due to following Syria on most matters. In line with these views, Druze leader
Walid Jumblatt Walid Kamal Jumblatt (; born 7 August 1949) is a Lebanese politician who was the leader of the Progressive Socialist Party from 1977 until 2023. A Druze and former militia commander, Jumblatt led the Lebanese National Resistance Front, allying ...
publicly described Lahoud as a "helpless ghost" regarding his presidency.


Personal life

He married Andrée Amadouni in 1967 and they have three children: Karine (born 1969), the former spouse of Elias Murr, Emile (born 1975) and Ralph (born 1977). The book ''Years of Resistance: The Mandate of Emile Lahood, the Former President of Lebanon'' by Karim Pakradouni, published in May 2012, reviews his political life and his impact on the contemporary history of Lebanon and the Middle East crisis.


Honours


National honours

* The Medal of 31 December 1961 *
Order of Merit The Order of Merit () is an order of merit for the Commonwealth realms, recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or the promotion of culture. Established in 1902 by Edward VII, admission into the order r ...
(3rd Grade) (1971) * Navy Medal (Excellent Grade) (1974) * Order of Merit (2nd Grade) (1983) *
National Order of the Cedar The National Order of the Cedar () is the highest Order (honour), state order of Lebanon, established on 31 December 1936. It is offered in five grades. History The Order was created on the 31 December 1936, but is regulated by the Lebanese C ...
(Knight) (1983) * Order of Merit (1st Grade) (1988) * National Order of the Cedar (Officer) (1989) * War Medal, 1991 War Medal (1992) * National Order of the Cedar (Grand Cordon) (1993) * Medal of the "Dawn of the South" (1993) * The Medal of National Unity (1993) * Military Valor Medal (1994) * State Security Medal (1994) * Order of Merit (Extraordinary Grade) (1998)


Foreign honours

* : Medal of Merit and Honor (High Ranking Officer) (1974) * : Tudor Vladimirescu Medal (4th degree) (1974), The "Star of Romania" Collar (2001) * : Commander of the
Legion of Honor The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and civil. Currently consisting of five classes, it was ...
(1996), Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor (2001) * :
Order of Merit The Order of Merit () is an order of merit for the Commonwealth realms, recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or the promotion of culture. Established in 1902 by Edward VII, admission into the order r ...
(Senior Officer Rank) (1997) * : Great Cross of Argentina (1998) * : Order of Al-Hussein bin Ali (1999) * : Great Collar of Independence (1999) * : Order of St. Mesrop Mashtots (2000) * : Order of King Abdulaziz (2000) * : Great Collar of The Union (2000) * : Great Collar of Mubarak (2000) * : Great Collar of the Nile (2000) * : Collar of the Order of Khalifa (2000) * : Order of the White Double Cross (1st Class) (2001) * : Order of Muhammad (Extraordinary Grade) (2001) * : Order of November the 7th (highest Grade) (2001) * : Grand Cross of the Order of Grimaldi (13 July 2001)Nomination by Sovereign Ordonnanc
n° 14950 of 13 July 2001
(French)
* : Grand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer (2001) * : Order of the Umayyads – Grand Cordon (2002) * : Badge of the
Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise The Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise () is a Ukrainian award. It is awarded for distinguished services to the state and people of the Ukrainian nation in the field of state building, strengthening the international prestige of Ukraine, develop ...
– 1st class (2002) * : Grand Collar of the Order of Makarios III (2002) * : Order of the Athir (23 July 2002) * : Order of the Republic (2002) * : Military Order of Oman – first category (2002) * : The Order Stara Planina (2003) * Gold
Olympic Order The Olympic Order, established in 1975, is the highest award of the Olympic Movement. It is awarded for particularly distinguished contributions to the Olympic Movement, i.e. recognition of efforts worthy of merit in the cause of sport. Tradit ...
(2003) * : National Order of the Southern Cross, Brasilia (2004), Big Cross of the Ipiranga Order, São Paulo (2004) * :
Order of Merit The Order of Merit () is an order of merit for the Commonwealth realms, recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or the promotion of culture. Established in 1902 by Edward VII, admission into the order r ...
– Grand Cross with Chain (2004) * Knight Grand Cross of Merit with Gold Star of the
Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George The Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George (; ), also historically referred to as the Imperial Constantinian Order of Saint George and the Order of the Constantinian Angelic Knights of Saint George, is a dynastic order of knighthood ...
(2004), Knight Grand Cross of Merit with Gold Plate of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George (2005) * : Grand Cross of the
Order of Merit The Order of Merit () is an order of merit for the Commonwealth realms, recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or the promotion of culture. Established in 1902 by Edward VII, admission into the order r ...
(2004) * Order of the Federation – 1st Class (Cordon), Arab Military Sports Federation (2005)


References


Further reading

* Fischbach, Michael B. ed. ''Bbiographical encyclopedia of the modern Middle East and North Africa'' (Gale, 2 vol, 2008) 2: 464–466. * Gambill, Gary C. "Hariri's dilemma." ''Middle East Intelligence Bulletin'' 5.11 (2003)
online
, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Lahoud, Emile 1936 births Extraordinary Grades of the Order of Merit (Lebanon) Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Grimaldi Lebanese Maronites 20th-century Lebanese military personnel Lebanese people of Armenian descent Lebanese people of Syrian descent Living people Lahoud family Presidents of Lebanon Recipients of the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, 1st class First Class of the Order of the Star of Romania People of the Lebanese Civil War Maronite politicians Brummana High School alumni