Years of Resistance: The Mandate of Émile Lahoud, the former President of Lebanon

Garnet Publishing, 2012. 1st Edition . Hardcover. Fine. X, 390 Pp. Illustrated Boards. First Edition. Fine. Inscribed By Emile Lahood To A Cousin In 2018. Written By Pakradouni, Who Met With Lahood Weekly From June 1999 To November 2007. Per Wikipedia, Émile Jamil Lahoud (1936-) Is A Lebanese Politician Who Served As The 16Th President Of Lebanon From 1998 To 2007. His Main Foreign-Policy Achievement Was To End The Israeli Occupation Of Southern Lebanon In May 2000, Which Had Been Occupied Since 1982. He Downplayed Sectarianism And Rearmed The Lebanese Army, With Help From Syria. However Factionalism And Lebanon's Politics Undermined His Strength. In A 2006 Der Spiegel Interview, Lahoud Argued That Hezbollah Enjoys Prestige In Lebanon, Because It "Freed Our Country". He Further Stated That Although Hezbollah Is A Small-Scale Organization, It Stands Up To Israel And Voiced His Respect For Hezbollah Leader Hassan Nasrallah. In 2007, His Presidential Term Ended. However, A New President Was Not Immediately Elected. Following A Political Deadlock Which Lasted For Six Months, The Lebanese Parliament Elected Former Army Chief Michel Suleiman As President. It Was Claimed That Lahoud Spent Much Of His Presidency Term Swimming And Sunbathing At The Yarzeh Country Club Minutes Away From The Presidential Palace. Although There Were High Expectations From His Own Christian Maronite Community And The Support Of The Military Which He Had Commanded In The Post-War Period, The Unpopular Lahoud Developed A Reputation As A Weak Leader By Some, Largely Due To Following Syria On Most Matters. In Line With These Views, Druze Leader Walid Jumblatt Publicly Described Lahoud As A "Helpless Ghost" Regarding His Presidency. Such Political Opinions Are Grounded On Partisan Politics In Lebanon, Since Lahoud Is Generally Viewed With Respect And Gratitude By The Factions Of 8 March. Not Noted In The Wikipedia Analysis Is That Lahoud, Like All Lebanese Politicians, Would Probably Claim No Personal Responsibility For The Endless Politicization, Corruption, Nepotism, And Immovable Stupidity Of The Government Of One Of The Most Dysfunctional Modern States - If A Temporary Cabal Of Local Warlords With No Interest In General Issues Of Administration For The Common Welfare, And Their Apologists, Can Be Called A Government.