Unlikely Alliances

Back from exile, Michel Aoun is sending shock waves through the Lebanese political community.

Appointed Prime Minister under questionable circumstances during Lebanon's civil war, General Michel Aoun tried to take control of a country tearing itself apart. With

Israel and

Syria fighting to control the outcome of the war, Aoun was a key player in his own turf battle. Syrian-allied Lebanese politicians laid claim to Lebanon. Aoun opposed, with portions of the Lebanese army loyal to him.

Months of exchanging artillery fire over a besieged Beirut followed. Eventually, Lebanese parliamentarians approved a peace accord written by appointees of the Arab League. Aoun denounced the group, calling them traitors, and lost all political backing in the process. In October 1990, a Lebanese-Syrian militia attacked his home and Aoun fled to the French Embassy. As rumors of a nighttime escape spread, the man called "the general" was exiled to France and a Syrian-backed government was installed in Lebanon.

A decade and a half later, in the wake of civil unrest and intense international pressure following suspected Syrian involvement in former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri’s assassination, Syrian troops pulled out of Lebanon after a 30-year presence.

With Syrian troops gone, Aoun returned home to a hero's welcome. During the election that followed the Syrian pullout, this Maronite Catholic has re-emerged as the leading opposition politician in Lebanon only months after returning from a 14-year exile.

Once called David to Syria's Goliath, Aoun has now surprised the Middle East community by forging partnerships with Syrian allies: in particular, Hezbollah and the Shia Amal party.

Aoun says the time has come to put differences aside in the interest of a peaceful Lebanon. But his alliances are causing some to question whether the man who once led Lebanon into battle against its next-door giant is now becoming Syria's puppet.

Kevin Sites interviewed Aoun and talked about Lebanon's future with Syria, making deals with Hezbollah, and creating a secular and democratic Lebanon.

-Hot Zone associate producer Erin Green

Michel Aoun: We have to speak about the future, what we want in the future -- not about what we don't want in the past.

Kevin Sites: Some would say the past is haunting Lebanon to some extent with these killings; that the Syrian shadow over Lebanon has not completely pulled away.

MA: Yes, that's right, you know it’s really a nightmare.

KS: But are you going to be able to as a mediator satisfy both contentious sides here? In terms of …

MA: I think I will be influence enough because you know, because my position will change the balance of forces, political forces on the ground.

KS: Do you have a plan? Is there a strategy that you are going to use to help break this deadlock?

MA: Well we have to define the values and the constants, that we have to build up a country. And, then, if you want, then we define a way to do it. So, we have to work because it's not my own decision. It will be... between all these factions.

KS: There has been some talk that it may create some strange alliances that we haven't seen, that you negotiate with Hezbollah and Amal, people that necessarily weren't your friends in the past.

MA: Yes, but we have to make peace with people who are not friends. We have to make peace with everybody is not... politically is now a friend of the other. Therefore it is a conflict and we have to reduce this conflict into an agreement.

"If we don’t reach an agreement we have to manage our differences to let the country live."— Michel Aoun

KS: How will you work with them specifically, with Hezbollah and Amal to overcome this?

MA: We have bilateral discussions, then we meet together, the Hariri group, Amal, Hezbollah, my group, my alliance. And then we'll discuss, everybody: exposure of ideas and of the solution that each supposes that are good and we'll discuss together. And I think we’ll reach a solution at the end. We have at least to be able to manage our differences. If we don’t reach an agreement we have to manage our differences to let the country live.

KS: That will be essential. General, how essential a role did the U.S. play in the departure of Syria from Lebanon?

MA: U.S.?

KS: Yes.

MA: They were with friends, the United States. They were friends behind (

United Nations resolution) 1559 which covered the Lebanese and their struggle against the Syrian domination of Lebanon and permitted the people to express themselves freely and to show them their willingness to get rid of the Syrians.

KS: Yes, but there’s also talk that to the United States, Syria is much more important than Lebanon. That their fear of al-Qaida fighters coming into

Iraq and disrupting operations there and disrupting the attempt to form a new government is more important to them strategically in the region. And that they may make a deal with Syria -- that if Syria cooperates and helps to shut down that border and perhaps even helps create more stability in Iraq -- that they might let Syria meddle again in Lebanese affairs, maybe not with troops but maybe politically?

MA: Well, I don’t think the United States will exchange stability in Iraq for instability in Lebanon. I think maybe for the medium and long-term the independence of Lebanon is an interest -- an American interest -- to have a model of democracy in the Middle East because the United States has some strategy for democracy in the area. I think Lebanon is the most experienced in that and in a short time will restore this democracy and to play a major role in the evolution of the Middle East.

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