Army commander begins visit to Qatar

Army Commander General Joseph Aoun on Saturday traveled to Qatar at an invitation from its deputy PM and foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, the army said.

The army chief “will discuss means to support the army during this period,” the army added in a statement.

Recent media reports had said that Qatar had “strongly” waded into the Lebanese presidential file in terms of negotiating with Iran.

“It had told Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil during his recent presence in Doha that it supports the election as president of Army chief General Joseph Aoun,” sources told ad-Diyar newspaper in remarks published Wednesday.

Qatar argued that Aoun “enjoys the support of most political parties in Lebanon, does not represent a provocation to anyone, and is accepted regionally and internationally,” the sources added.