Opposition Lebanese Christian leader to visit arch-foe Syria

Dec 2, 2008, 7:11 GMT

Beirut - Lebanese opposition leader Michel Aoun, who spent 15 years in exile after an aborted 'war of liberation' against Damascus, is set to visit Syria on Wednesday, sources close to the Christian politician said.

'This will be an introductory visit to look for a new future and turn the dark pages in the history of Lebanon,' Member of Parliament Ibrahim Kenaan of Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement said.

The visit would be Aoun's first to Damascus, where he was expected to hold talks with high-ranking Syrian officials.

Aoun, a former army chief, was the head of a Christian interim government when he was forced into exile after being defeated in a Syrian offensive in 1990 at the end of Lebanon's 15-year civil war.

He returned to Lebanon in May 2005, a month after Syria ended its 30 years of military presence in Lebanon.

Syria was forced to leave Lebanon after the February 2005 assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri.

Hariri's allies have accused Damascus of being behind his killing, a charge Syria has vehemently denied.

A year after he arrived in Lebanon, Aoun, 73, shifted allegiance from the Western-backed anti-Syrian camp to the opposition led by the radical Hezbollah movement, which is backed by Syria and Iran.

Syria and Lebanon launched diplomatic ties for the first time in October.

Aoun's plan has already garnered wide criticism from anti-Syrian Christian leaders.

'Aoun is considered Syria's ally now because he belongs to a Syrian-Iranian alliance ... I think he (Aoun) will be the main loser from this visit,' Fares Soueid, secretary-general of the anti-Syrian coalition, was quoted as saying by the Voice of Lebanon radio station.

'The Syrian regime will give Aoun's visit wide coverage because for now they want Aoun in their camp,' Soueid said.

Aoun visited Iran in October and held talks with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.