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![](http://www.presidency.gov.lb/images/president/biography/career/intro.gif) General Emile Lahoud is the eleventh President of the Republic of Lebanon since Independence. He comes from the town of Baabdat, in the Metn region. Since his youth, General Lahoud has been recognized for his patriotic sense of duty devoted to preserving and protecting the national unity for all the citizens. From his early childhood, Emile Lahoud witnessed the events of Lebanons independence. His fathers struggle for the independence of Lebanon was his first lesson. General Lahouds father, whose name is synonymous with the creation of the Army and the quest for independence, taught him military discipline, which accepts no alternative to the national will. It was his father who called upon the Lebanese officers of the Levant Troop to a meeting in Zouk Mikael, on 26/7/1941, where they signed the Historical Document, which stated the officers pledge to abide only by the orders of the National Lebanese Government. In addition, he defied the mandatory authorities when he raised, for the first time ever, the Lebanese flag above his units position in Ein Al Sohat. During that period, he met General Fouad Chehab and they maintained a close friendship over the years. Promoted to the rank of General in 1959, his father soon retired and ran for parliamentary elections in the North Metn region, where he won for two consecutive terms in 1960 and 1964. He was appointed as Minister of Labor and Social Affairs in 1966, in the cabinet of late Premier Abdallah El-Yaffi, during the term of late President Charles Helou. He was known for his sympathy towards the workers and the underprivileged. When he was in office, workers joined unions and syndicates. He was, moreover, named The Red General because of his great concern for the low-income class. His fathers experience in politics taught General Emile Lahoud the values of loyalty and justice, enhancing his knowledge and stressing two features: The officer who devotes himself to his country; and the politician who works sincerely and justly. He, therefore, was able to see the dimensions of political issues and tried his best not to interfere in them. General Emile Lahoud was born in Beirut on January 12, 1936. Son of General Jamil Lahoud and Adrinée Badjakian, he married Andrée Amadouny in 1967. He is the father of Carine, wife of Elias Michel El-Murr (married in 1992), Emile and Ralph. He has one brother, Judge Nasri Lahoud, who is the President of the Council of the Supreme Justice. General Lahoud finished his elementary studies at La Sagesse, and his secondary studies at Brummana High School. He studied Naval Engineering in Great Britain. Following his fathers steps, he joined the Military Academy on the 1st of October 1956 as a marine cadet officer, and resumed his studies in Great Britain. He is a keen sportsman, an accomplished swimmer and diver. Military life: Promoted to the rank of Sub Lieutenant in 18/9/1959, he was appointed two months later as Commander of the ship Beirut until 20/9/1965. Promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in 18/9/1962, he was appointed as Commander of the ship Sour 20/9/1965 till 1/10/1966, then Commander of the 2nd Division of Ships until 16/10/1967. On 10/12/1968, he was appointed as Commander of the 1st Division of Ships. Promoted in 1/4/1969 to the rank of Lieutenant Commander, he was assigned to the Fourth Bureau of the Army Command in 26/3//1970. On the 30th of August 1973, Lieutenant Commander Lahoud was appointed as Chief of Cabinet of the Armed Forces Commander until 1/7/1979, when he was sent to further pursue his military studies in the United States. He was promoted to the rank of Commander in 1/1/1974, and Captain in 1/1/1980. Upon his return from the United States, he was appointed as Director of Personnel of the Army, and later, Chief of the Military Cabinet at the Ministry of Defense in 10/2/1983. During is military service, General Emile Lahoud pursued several courses and training missions abroad, which promoted him to higher posts and increased his experience. 11/2/1960 till 5/8/1960: Naval course in England. 23/5/1965 till 3/6/1965: Course on rescue boats in England. 18/10/1967 till 6/3/1968: Chemical Bactirio Radiation College (CBR) in the U.S.A. 27/12/1972 till 9/7/1973: Naval Staff course in the U.S.A. (Rhode Island). 30/7/1979 till 3/7/1980: Naval Command College in the U.S.A. (Rhode Island).
31/7/1967 : Member of the Engineering Society of Lebanon 24/11/1998: Acting Honorary Chairman of the Engineering Society October 2002: Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects General Lahoud received the following commendations, decorations and medals: Commendation of the Army Command, 1958. Commendation of the Army Commander, 1963. Commendation of the Army Commander, 1968. Commendation of the Minister of National Defense, 1983. Commendation of the Army Commander, 1984. Campaign Ribbon (memorial), 1961. The Medal of December 31, 1961. Lebanese Order of Merit (3rd Grade), 1971. Medal of Merit and Honor (High Ranking Officer), Haiti, 1974. Navy Medal (Excellent Grade), 1974. Tudor Vladimirescu Medal (4th degree), Romania, 1974. Lebanese Order of Merit (2nd Grade), 1983. National Order of the Cedar (Knight), 1983. Lebanese 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 Valour Medal, 1994. State Security Medal, 1994. Commander of the Legion of Honor, France, 1996. Order of Merit (Senior Officer Rank), Italy, 1997. Great Cross of Argentina, 1998. Lebanese Order of Merit (Extraordinary Grade), 1998. Order of Al-Hussein Ibn Ali, Jordan, 1999. Great Collar of Independence, Qatar, 1999. Order of Saint Misrope Mashtos, Armenia, 2000. King Abdul-Aziz Collar, Saudi Arabia, 2000. Great Collar of The Union, United Arab Emirates, 2000. Great Collar of Mubarak, Kuwait, 2000. Great Collar of the Nile, Egypt, 2000. Great Collar of Independence, Qatar, 2000. Great Collar of the Khalifite Order, Bahrein, 2000. Order of the White Double Cross (1st Class), Slovakia, 2001. The "Star of Romania" Collar, 1999, 2001. Great Cross of the Legion of Honor, France, 2001. The Al Muhammadi Decoration (Extraordinary Grade), Morocco, 2001. Order of November the 7th (Highest Grade), Tunisia, 2001. Great Cross of the Grimaldi's Order, Monaco, 2001. Great Cross of the Redeemer's Order, Greece, 2001. National Order of Oumaya Grand Cordon, Syria, 2002. Badge of the order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise - 1st class, Ukraine, 2002. Grand Collar of the Order of Makarios III, Cyprus, 2002. National Order of Merit "Al-Athir", Algeria, 2002. Order of the Republic, Yemen, 2002 Military Order of Oman - first category, Oman, 2002 The Order Stara Planina, Bulgaria, 2003 Gold Olympic Order, 2003 National Order of the South Cross, Brasilia Brazil, 2004 Big Cross of the Ipiranga Order, Sao Paolo Brazil, 2004 Order of Merit Grand Cross with Chain, Hungary, 2004 Knight Grand Cross of Merit with Gold Star of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George, 2004. Grand Cross of the Order of Merit, Poland, 2004.
When General Lahoud was appointed as Commander of the Armed Forces in 28/11/1989, Lebanon was witnessing destruction and armed conflict. There was a widespread breakdown on all levels, political, administrative and military. At that point, General Lahouds main assets were his unshakable determination and reputation, and an illustrious history of dedication and service to his country. When the nation and the Army faced an unprecedented period which required exceptional efforts, General Lahoud was asked to carry out the national rescue mission. His qualifications were a determining factor that led to his nomination. He has never longed for personal recognition nor favor.
![](http://www.presidency.gov.lb/images/president/biography/career/commander.gif) General Lahoud took over the command of an institution ravaged by military conflict. The military's role was absent, and after the Taef Agreement put an end to the war, the Lebanese needed a guarantor to secure their future. The Lebanese recognized the need for a united and a strong military. They were also looking for a symbol of unity, and national cohesion. General Lahoud rebuilt the Army, and provided the nation with a united military establishment.
Unity of Vision Previously, the absence of clear vision prevented the unity of the Army, and kept it from defending the system and safeguarding the nation's integrity and security. When this vision was put in focus, the military assumed its clear objectives. In January 1990, General Lahoud addressed the military : " You are not armed factions in the service of personal interests, rather, you are in the service of Lebanon only. You should remain united for all the Lebanese."
Rebuilding the Army on an equitable basis The losses that the Army suffered, both in personnel and equipment, had to be compensated in order to ensure that the military institution can fulfill its defensive and security roles. Rebuilding the Army units and providing them with their needs was done equitably in a period of harsh economic conditions through the rational use of the available resources. During that period, General Lahoud said: " The Army's duty is to defend the legitimacy of the nation and preserve the security of citizens. We must continue our efforts to supply it on all levels with personnel, equipment and adequate training of brigades and units, in order to maintain its readiness. That is why we have implemented an emergency plan."
This plan, supervised by General Lahoud consisted of the following :
- Repairing and restoring defective equipment.
- Receiving grants in arms and ammunition from the Syrian Arab Army.
- Buying used equipment in nominal prices from different sources, only using funds allocated in the Budget.
This led to a decrease in expenses in the budget of the Army and put an end to the questionable practices that used to characterize military procurement. Relationship with the political authority General Lahoud was determined to develop the relationship between the political authorities and the military according to the Constitution . When he took over as Commander, General Lahoud stressed that the military shall defend the legitimacy and shall remain distant from all political or confessional interests : " The Army is bound to defend the national principles which are : democracy, freedom, justice, sovereignty and unity. The oath we made must be fulfilled in our daily work. Experience shows that aware and enlightened soldiers are better prepared to put aside sectarian and regional tendencies. Your country is based on a democratic parliamentary system. You should protect it and preserve its liberties by abiding to the civil constitutional authority of which you are a part." As a result, General Lahoud called for the politicization of militias and their demilitarization. On a parallel level, he called for keeping Army affairs away from political intervention.
Unity of the military in their fight against the enemy, in coordination with Syria General Lahoud unified the strategic goals of the Army by pointing out the real enemy and by stating the national path each one must follow. Israel is the enemy which is occupying our land and threatening our stability. When the Army command sent half of its armed forces to the South and the West Bekaa to confront Israeli aggression, General Lahoud said : " We will go to the South because we are aware that Lebanon became weak when the Army turned its back on our Southern borders. This is the land of our ancestors, and we are going to regain every bit of it, according to our government's decisions. Syria remains our best ally. It has bled with us and continues to help us. Coordination between the two armies has today reached unprecedented levels, yielding beneficial results : generous aid and equipment grants, military assistance during security missions on the ground, and the training of Lebanese military units." General Lahoud repeatedly pointed out that the Lebanese soldiers felt at last that Lebanese citizens, from all regions and groups are supporting them on a national level. This is due to General Lahoud's success in unifying the Army's position. Citizens no longer feel regional segregation and are turning more and more towards the Army.
Institutional Work General Lahoud has followed clear plans in his command of the Army. Promotions, assignments and courses abroad are all based on competence and productivity. This equality under the rule of Law leads to the fact that the military is subject to the same norms in defining duties, rights and reprimands. |