Exiled Lebanese leader returns
Former general and interim prime minister Michel Aoun returns to Lebanon after 15 years in exile; says he would be prepared to assume Lebanon’s presidency
Anti-Syrian leader Michel Aoun returned to Lebanon Saturday to the cheers of thousands of his supporters, ending his 15-year exile in France less than two weeks after Syrian troops withdrew from Lebanon.
Aoun, a one-time army commander and interim Lebanese prime minister, lost a "war of liberation" against Syrian forces in 1989-90. He was sent into exile in France, but an arrest warrant against him was dropped earlier in the week, clearing the way for his return.
Upon his arrival Aoun visited the grave of assassinated former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, and he is scheduled to address young supporters at Martyrs' Square in central Beirut, offering his vision of the country's future.
“A black cloud has oppressed Lebanon for 15 years,” Aoun told reporters. “Today, the sun of freedom shines. I am returning to help rebuild Lebanon.”
Late last month Syria ended its 29-year military presence in the country, paving the way for him to make a triumphant return.
Making no effort to hide his political ambitions, the 70-year-old told AFP last month that he would be prepared to assume Lebanon's presidency should a "national consensus" emerge in his favor.
Aoun's homecoming Saturday is concrete proof of the transformation of the Lebanese political landscape since the February 14 slaying of Hariri, which triggered widespread anger at Damascus.
The general remains a controversial figure.
Aoun's return may affect SLA members
Although he is beloved by supporters in Lebanon's Maronite Christian community for flying the flag of nationalism while in exile, detractors say he prolonged the country's 1975-1990 civil war by waging war against Syrian troops while serving as interim prime minister from March 1989 to October 1990, when he sought asylum at the French embassy in Beirut.
In August 1991, he was whisked out of the country to France.
Ahead of Saturday's homecoming, posters have appeared on the walls of Beirut comparing the event to the triumphant 1945 return from exile of France's Charles de Gaulle after the expulsion of Nazi forces.
"De Gaulle 1945, Aoun 2005," one poster read.
Lebanon's courts have removed several legal impediments to Aoun's return, suspending an arrest warrant against him, dropping several outstanding charges against him and delaying a decision in a 2003 case on other allegations.
Knesset Member Ayoob Kara (Likud) said Aoun’s return may pave the way for the return to Lebanon of Southern Lebanese Army (SLA) members in the framework of a general pardon.
