Joseph Khalil Aoun was born on January 10, 1964, in the town of San El-Fil in the Al-Matan District. He is currently the current commander of the Lebanese army (the 14th commander of the army). He took office on March 8, 2017, replacing General Jean Kahwaji.
Aoun began his military career as a volunteer in 1983, and since 1984 he has participated in several military courses, including an officers’ course in 1986, a diving course in 1987, and a senior officer’s course in 1996.
In 2013, he participated in a workshop on intelligence and counterterrorism in addition to several courses abroad, mainly in the United States, where he participated in two infantry courses in 1988 and 1995, and later during the International Program for Counter-Terrorism Policy in the period between 2008 and 2009.
Aoun participated in a demolition course in Syria in 1996 and in a battalion commanders’ course in Syria in 2002-2003.
In 2015, he was appointed commander of the 9th Brigade deployed in southern Lebanon, and in 2016 he was transferred to the eastern sector on the border with Syria, where he dealt with the threat of ISIS at the time (details below).
During his military career, Aoun received several military medals and decorations:
Medal of the Wounded, which he received twice. Awarded to military personnel injured during military operations.
“Dawn of the South” medal – The Minister of National Security awards the “Dawn of the South” medal “Dawn of the South” medal to all LAF soldiers who were in active service between July 1, 1991 and July 10, 1991. The medal commemorates the last battle in the civil war against the Palestinians in Sidon, who were forced to disarm.
National Order of the Cedar medal – This is the highest state honor in Lebanon and is usually awarded by the President of the Lebanese Republic for “the great services rendered by the recipient of the award to Lebanon, and for acts of courage and dedication of great moral value, such as years of public service.”
The Counter-Terrorism Medal – awarded by order on the recommendation of the Minister of Defense (National Security) to all members of the military and institutions of the Ministry of National Security, who were in active service between May 20, 2007, and September 2, 2007. The Medal was given in light of the Lebanese Army’s fighting in the uprising in the Nahr al-Bard Palestinian refugee camp, north of the city of Tripoli.
Joseph Aoun’s name is associated with the Lebanese people’s awareness thanks to two prominent events: the first, Fajr al-Jaroud, the battle he successfully led against hundreds of ISIS militants in 2017 in eastern Lebanon on the border with Syria. The second is his long war against corruption in the military system, which he managed to maintain as one of the few durable institutions in a country suffering from total collapse.
On August 19, 2017, the army headed by Aoun launched Operation Fajr al-Jaroud to remove the militants from the strongholds of the Lebanese border with Syria and achieved this success with the great help of Hezbollah operatives who fought alongside the Lebanese army in repelling ISIS operatives from Lebanese territory.
The ongoing political, economic, and security crises in Lebanon reached their peak in October 2019, with popular demonstrations against state institutions. The demonstrations were led by the March 14 Camp, which opposes Hezbollah and its political partners. Aoun deployed the army in a way that would protect the demonstrators and their right to demonstrate peacefully, on the one hand, without allowing damage to state institutions, on the other.
The great disaster of the explosion at the port of Beirut in August 2020 added to the long-standing political-economic security crisis in Lebanon, highlighting the depth of its collapse. The parliamentary elections in 2022 did not bring about significant change, as the Lebanese people re-elected a divided parliament, which remained unchanged since October 2019. The president’s term ended in October 2022 without the parliament being able to choose a successor.
In the absence of a president, Lebanon has had a transitional government. Many Lebanese people saw the army, under Aoun’s command, as a kind of anchor of stability.
Since taking command of the army in 2017, Aoun has launched a wide-ranging campaign to combat corruption within the military establishment, which has affected many military personnel. Aoun’s reputation as a fighter against corruption significantly shaped his image as a credible figure capable of saving the country from collapse.
After the explosion at the port of Beirut in 2020, countries friendly to Lebanon diverted their aid to the military, claiming that they only rely on the army to distribute it. Therefore, all the aid, estimated at tens of millions of dollars, was directed directly to the army and was at Aoun’s disposal and under his direct management. It appears that the military establishment has effectively managed the funds and has never experienced a shortage due to corruption.
Two events that point to the severe tension between the Christians and the Shiites in Lebanon clearly reflect Aoun’s policy of containing and preventing a deterioration in the internal situation in Lebanon.
The first incident took place in the Tiuna area of Beirut on October 14, 2021. At the time, supporters of Hezbollah and Amal organized a protest march against the judge investigating the explosion at the port of Beirut, Tareq Bitar. Amid reports that Bitar might blame Hezbollah for the explosion, the Shiite demonstrators accused Bitar of “bias and politicization” and demanded his removal from the investigation.
The march passed between two parts of Beirut, one of which is predominantly Christian, and the other is predominantly Shiite. Small arms fire on the demonstrators in the Christian area led to clashes between Hezbollah operatives and Christian operatives from Samir Geagea’s group. The army, under Aoun’s command, worked to control the situation. The clashes resulted in six deaths and more than 32 injuries.
The second incident was the clashes on August 9, 2023, between Hezbollah operatives and several residents of the Christian town of Kahala, east of Beirut. The incident took place after a Hezbollah truck carrying weapons from the Beqaa to Beirut overturned, and residents of Mahala gathered around it. Hezbollah operatives securing the truck confronted the Christian residents exchanging fire. Here too, Hezbollah operatives clashed with Samir Geagea’s men. This resulted in the deaths of both a town resident and a Hezbollah operative. The army also intervened in this situation, apprehending several Hezbollah operatives (later released), and averting a further deterioration.
The Lebanese army, under Aoun’s command, managed to contain the events. But did Aoun’s strategy of containment come at any cost? Does this perhaps indicate the kind of presidency that should be expected if Joseph Aoun is elected president?
It seems that Aoun’s recent statement, during his visit to Saudi Arabia, hints more than anything else at his intentions regarding Hezbollah. Aoun said he had no intention of confronting Hezbollah in the context of enforcing the ceasefire.
In the current circumstances, after the war and the elimination of Nasrallah, who was a major obstacle to the election of the president in Lebanon by insisting on the election of a president who would be in favor of the Shiite duo, and given the situation of the Lebanese people and the statements of the new leader of Hezbollah, Naim Qassem, there seems to be agreement on the importance of electing a president by consensus.
In a Nov. 25 interview with Lebanese Economy Minister Amin Salam, broadcast on the American channel Al-Hura, it was said, among other things, that Washington is proposing three names for the Lebanese presidency: Joseph Aoun, Naama Afram, and Ziad Baroud.
During the interview, it was pronounced that Suleiman Tony Frangieh, the candidate of the Shiite duo (Amal and Hezbollah) for president, said that General Aoun’s chances in Hezbollah were high compared to Franjieh himself, all the more so compared to Baroud (former interior minister) and MP Afram.
Franjieh was also quoted as telling officials that he was in a meeting with the eliminated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, when the latter told him, “If you were not a candidate, we have no problem appointing the army commander.”
Joseph Aoun may be the only viable option that not only provides a reasonable default for Hezbollah, but also calms the Christians and prevents the escalation of the internal crisis in Lebanon.
Military commanders have already won presidential elections in Lebanon, with the first one being Fouad Shihab, who served as president from 1958 to 1964. Shihab carried out extensive reforms and led Lebanon to a better situation. Two others were Emile Lahoud (1998-2007) and Michel Slimane (2008-2014). Joseph Aoun himself has never said he is a candidate, nor has he declared that he is interested in the position.
In Lebanon, as in Lebanon, there is no way to know… Hezbollah, (for which Joseph Aoun is not its preferred candidate), continues to wield influence in Lebanon…
