Report: Washington Rejects Vacuum in Army Leadership, Could Reconsider Aid
A European diplomatic source said that the United States will not accept vacuum in the leadership of Lebanon's military institutions, warning that it could halt the aid program it provides to the army, the Kuwaiti al-Qabas daily reported on Sunday.
The United states, which continuously provides the army with aid and cover to dismantle terrorist cells, will not accept vacuum in the leadership of the military institution, threatening that it could reconsider the aid program if that happened, the daily added.
The sources told the daily that any vacuum in the army leadership could also affect the delivery of French weapons to Lebanon, that have been financed through a $1 billion Saudi grant.
The warnings are well known to some political parties now, who beleive that the extension of the term of army commander Gen. Jean Qahwaji could become a de facto if the process of military and security appointments failed, they stated.
The next three weeks will be sufficient for things to crystallize.
Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Michel Aoun wants his son-in-law Commando Regiment chief Brig. Gen. Chamel Roukoz to be appointed army chief.
Roukoz's tenure ends in October 2015 while the term of army commander Gen. Jean Qahwaji expires at the end of September.
Despite the reports about his insistence to have his son-in-law as army chief, Aoun denies that he had made such a proposal.
The cabinet is scheduled to meet early in August after a heated session on Thursday that began with a dispute between Prime Minister Tammam Salam and Foreign Minister Jibran Bassil, who is the son-in-law of Aoun.
The thorny file of military and security appointments drives the attention of all parties, as it comes a month and a half before the tenure of Qahwaji ends.
The tenure of Qahwaji was extended for two years in September 2013.
Source: Naharnet
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