New Lebanese president’s career highlights US inconsistencies admin, November 28, 2016June 10, 2024 National Catholic Reporter November 28, 2016 There are more than a few ironies regarding the Oct. 31 election by the Lebanese parliament of former Gen. Michel Aoun, a Maronite Catholic who received his military training in the United States, as the country’s new president. One of the most striking is his shifting allegiances and the inconsistencies of U.S. policy toward Lebanon. Lebanon National Catholic Reporter US Foreign Policy not audio