Beirut: As anticipated, the Lebanese Minister of Defense, Samir Moqbel, signed on a decree to extend the term of Brigadier General Edmond Fadel, the head of the Lebanese Armed Forces’ Intelligence branch, which was slated to expire on March 20. Interestingly, the decree is valid for a mere six months, which seems to be a clever mechanism to avoid controversy both within the Cabinet, as well as a way to limit expected opposition from Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) leader, General Michel Aoun.
A few days ago, Aoun lambasted Moqbel, asserting that the minister had no jurisdiction to make such reappointments. While Aoun withdrew his party’s confidence from Moqbel after the latter successfully extended the term of office for the head of the Higher Defense Council, Major General Mohammad Khair, the latest decision illustrated how Prime Minister Tammam Salam’s team planned to fill essential security voids without ossifying the business of the state.
All senior civil service and military positions in Lebanon, which normally are appointed by the head-of-state, are in limbo because of the nearly year-long presidential vacuum. Parliament’s failure to elect a successor for Michel Suleiman further threatened the positions of Internal Security Forces chief Major General Ebrahim Basbous, now set to retire in June, and Army Chief General Jean Qahwaji, whose term expires on September 23, 2015. Although Basbous was likely to be renominated, Michel Aoun wants Qahwaji to be replaced, ostensibly because his term was already extended for two years in September 2013 and, equally important, because Aoun wants his son-law, Major-general Chamel Roukoz, to take over.
The real tragedy is that the Supreme Defense Council, which normally includes six officers, is down to three, with Qahwaji, Fadel and Major-Gerald Walid Salman also fast approaching the end of his term. Minister Moqbel may well have found technical solutions for several officers though the struggle, and it would surely become an intractable one, over the commander of the army was far from settled. One solution under consideration is to introduce a parliament vote after ten deputies sponsor an extension, before submitting the bill to a full vote next April. Except for the FPM, Qahwaji was ensured passage, though the issue could become moot if the same parliament displayed the moral fortitude and the political savvy to elect a president who would then restore normalcy.
