Gen. Aoun Says Hizbullah is His Closest Ally

Gen. Michel Aoun said his Free Patriotic Movement's closest ally in Lebanon was Hizbullah, as the two held similar views with regards to reform and other internal issues. Aoun's position was transmitted Thursday to a visiting delegation from the National Council for Information. "The General considers that the closest to him in Lebanon is Hizbullah, especially in the matters of reform, mass graves and internal issues," said Abdel-Hadi Mahfouz, who heads the national media outfit. Aoun, who spent 15 years in exile for opposing Syrian domination of, was a major player in the coalition that drove Damascus' troops out of Lebanon last April. However, during the campaign for parliamentary elections in June, he forged an alliance with the pro-Syrian Hizbullah. Since his return to Lebanon, Aoun has adopted political and administrative reform as his party's national goals. He blames politicians who led the country in his absence for encouraging corruption under Syrian protection. "He (Aoun) considers the (present) government to be an extension of the past 15 years without the presence of Rustom Ghazaleh to solve problems," said Mahfouz. Ghazaleh was Syria's top intelligence officer in Lebanon. Since Syria's exit from the neighboring country, politicians have spoken of his brazen threats and intimidation tactics. Hizbullah holds similar views on reform and corruption as Aoun. The two groups also claim their slate is clear of mass murders committed by other politicians that participated in the country's 1975-1990 year civil war.