Lebanese Govt Completes Security Appointments Based on ‘Experience and Competence

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun confers the rank of “General” on the new Army Commander, Rodolphe Haikal (AP).
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun confers the rank of “General” on the new Army Commander, Rodolphe Haikal (AP).
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Lebanese Govt Completes Security Appointments Based on ‘Experience and Competence

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun confers the rank of “General” on the new Army Commander, Rodolphe Haikal (AP).
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun confers the rank of “General” on the new Army Commander, Rodolphe Haikal (AP).

The Lebanese government has finalized military and security appointments in a single move, selecting candidates based on “experience and competence,” according to Minister of Information Paul Morcos.
The new appointments include Brigadier General Rodolphe Haikal as Commander of the Army, following his promotion to the rank of “General”; Brigadier General Hassan Choucair as Director General of General Security, after being promoted to “Major General”; Brigadier General Raed Abdullah as Director General of the Internal Security Forces, also after his promotion to “Major General”; and Brigadier General Edgar Lawand as Director General of State Security, following his elevation to “Major General.” Additionally, Brigadier General Mourched Hajj Sleiman has been appointed Deputy Director General of State Security.
Morcos emphasized that these military and security appointments were made based on experience and competence, adding: “We, in the Council of Ministers, work with great precision, ensuring strict adherence to standards and qualifications.”
President Joseph Aoun stated that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation “stressed the urgent need to appoint a new Governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon and highlighted the importance of passing banking secrecy legislation, which still requires further amendments, as well as restructuring the banking sector.”
During the cabinet session, Aoun briefed the government on his meeting with a delegation from the IMF, revealing that “a committee has been formed, chaired by the Minister of Finance and including the Minister of Economy, the acting Governor of the Central Bank, two advisors, and the Prime Minister’s advisor, Lamia Moubayed, to follow up on the issues raised by the delegation.”
The president added: “The IMF underscored the importance of reaching an agreement with the Fund before the summer, given previous unsuccessful attempts, and stressed the need for cooperation among all relevant Lebanese authorities.”
“The key to restoring confidence in Lebanon—both domestically and internationally—is implementing economic, banking, and financial reforms,” he remarked.
The IMF delegation also reiterated the necessity of appointing a new Central Bank Governor and establishing a centralized data center for all sections of the Ministry of Finance. Furthermore, they stressed the need to pass two key laws: one addressing banking secrecy, which still requires additional amendments despite recent changes, and another focused on restructuring the banking sector.
Regarding recent developments in Syria, Aoun stated that security agencies, along with the Ministries of Interior and Defense, are closely monitoring the situation to ensure full readiness. He also announced that following the release of four Lebanese prisoners previously detained by Israel during the recent conflict, “the fifth prisoner was released on Thursday as a result of indirect negotiations.”
Army Commander
Army Commander General Rodolphe Haikal enlisted as an officer cadet and joined the Military Academy in 1990. He steadily rose through the ranks and held various assignments before being appointed in 2023 as Commander of the South Litani Sector along the border with Israel. Since the summer of 2024, he has served as Director of Operations in the Army Staff for Operations.

 

 



Trump Warns Iran It Will Face ‘Consequences’ of Further Attacks from Yemen’s Houthis

A man inspects the rubble of a house hit by a US strike on the weekend in Yemen's northern Saada province on March 17, 2025. (AFP)
A man inspects the rubble of a house hit by a US strike on the weekend in Yemen's northern Saada province on March 17, 2025. (AFP)
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Trump Warns Iran It Will Face ‘Consequences’ of Further Attacks from Yemen’s Houthis

A man inspects the rubble of a house hit by a US strike on the weekend in Yemen's northern Saada province on March 17, 2025. (AFP)
A man inspects the rubble of a house hit by a US strike on the weekend in Yemen's northern Saada province on March 17, 2025. (AFP)

US President Donald Trump on Monday explicitly linked the actions of Yemen's Houthi militias to their main benefactor, Iran, warning Tehran would “suffer the consequences” for further attacks by the militants.

The comments by Trump on his Truth Social website escalate his administration's new campaign of airstrikes targeting the militias, which killed at least 53 people this weekend alone and appear poised to continue. Meanwhile, Iran continues to weigh how to respond to a letter Trump sent them last week trying to jump-start negotiations over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program.

Houthi supporters themselves rallied in several cities Monday after the strikes, vowing revenge against America and Israel over blocking aid to the Gaza Strip after its war on Hamas there.

“The Yemeni position is an irreversible position (regarding Gaza), so do whatever you (Americans) want, for we are men who fear no one but God," said Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a Houthi leader who spoke to the demonstration in Yemen's Houthi-held capital, Sanaa.

Describing the Houthis as “sinister mobsters and thugs,” Trump warned any attack by the militias would be met with “great force, and there is no guarantee that that force will stop there.”

“Iran has played ‘the innocent victim’ of rogue terrorists from which they’ve lost control, but they haven’t lost control,” Trump alleged in his post. “They’re dictating every move, giving them the weapons, supplying them with money and highly sophisticated Military equipment, and even, so-called, 'Intelligence.'”

It's unclear what sparked Trump's post. However, the head of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard sought to separate the Houthis' actions from those of Tehran this weekend. The Houthis also launched drones and missiles targeting the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier in the Red Sea, though none reached the ship as it continues flight operations in the region.

Iran did not immediately comment on the post.

“Every shot fired by the Houthis will be looked upon, from this point forward, as being a shot fired from the weapons and leadership of IRAN, and IRAN will be held responsible, and suffer the consequences, and those consequences will be dire!” Trump added.

The Houthis attacked over 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two vessels and killing four sailors, from November 2023 until January this year when a ceasefire began in Gaza.

The Houthis claimed there had been additional US airstrikes overnight, though American officials did not immediately acknowledge them.

World Food Program warehouse raided by Houthis

In Saada province, the Houthis' stronghold, the militias raided a warehouse run by the World Food Program. A member of Yemen's legitimate government first reported the Houthis had been taking supplies from the facility without the WFP's permission in the aftermath of the US airstrikes. The United Nations agency later acknowledged the Houthis' actions to The Associated Press.

“WFP regrets the de facto authorities' decision to seize some of the commodities,” it said. “These commodities were intended for the most vulnerable food-insecure families. Only WFP and its partners have the authority to distribute them and ensure they reach the intended recipients.”

Yemen, at war since the Houthis seized Sanaa back in 2014, has been on the precipice of famine for years. But the UN in February suspended its operations in Saada over security concerns following the detentions by the Houthis of dozens of UN workers and others in recent months. A day later, the WFP announced one of its staffers died while imprisoned by the Houthis.